Carrot miso mac
Mac n cheese is the ultimate comfort food at any time of year. In winter, it hits an even sweeter spot. This veg-boosted twist offers the same look and texture, to my mind, as boxes of Kraft did when I was a child growing up in America. We ate a lot of amazing homegrown food cooked from scratch, but there were also plenty of packets and boxes such as Hamburger Helper and crinkly foil-wrapped parcels of bone-dry waves of ramen noodles with their tiny sachets of salty seasoning. This mac dishes out a rich lick of nostalgia, but, to go with it, there’s a delicious dose of immune-boosting nutrients, too.
Ingredients
- 4 carrots (total weight about 500g)
- 200g cashews
- water, vegetable stock, or Gut healing veg stock, to cover
- 300g wholegrain macaroni, or gluten-free elbow macaroni, or 600g previously cooked and cooled pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon miso, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- pinch of cayenne pepper, or chilli powder (optional)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve (optional)
4 tablespoon breadcrumbs, or crushed cashews
smattering of herbs, such as coriander, a mix of microgreens or thyme
Method
- Cut the carrots into 1cm (or thinner) slices. Tumble into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and the cashews. Pour in enough water or stock to just cover. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, pop a lid on and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the carrots are fully tender.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. If using cooked and cooled pasta, simply refresh it in a pot of boiling water and drain after 1 minute, or as soon as it has warmed through. Toss with the oil.
- Blend the carrots, cashews and their liquid with the miso, mustard and garlic. Taste, season and add more miso and/or mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli powder, if needed.
- Fold the carrot sauce through the cooked and drained pasta. I love serving this in a baking dish topped with breadcrumbs or crushed cashews and grilled until brown, then scattering over a fresh pop of herbaceous greenery.
This stunning recipe comes from former MIH teacher Rachel De Thamples new cook book Winter Wellness.
