A glowing meal
Hi friends! How’s your morning going?
We’re on our second day of gloomy doomy rain over here- I kind of love it.
Since I didn’t want the weather to get in the way of Bella’s walking schedule, I took her to walk indoors to PetSmart. She starts squeaking like a little bird as soon as we pull into the parking lot. New treats and a snowman toy:
I especially love the rain because sometimes the Pilot’s flights are canceled due to weather, so he gets to come home earlier. Whenever it randomly starts raining and he has a canceled flight, he blames me for doing it. Last night, despite the weather and my wishes, he still got home pretty late and we enjoyed a 10pm dinner together.
The star of the show:
a baby butternut.
I’d been wanting to try Angela’s Butternut Squash Mac N’ Cheeze for quite a while, and decided that last night would be the night.
It was also my first time trying this quinoa pasta, which has slightly higher protein content than the brown rice pasta (6g instead of 4)
Roasted 1/2 the bnut:
Made the sauce:
(first time making a vegan cheeze sauce sans cashews and I couldn’t believe how fantastic it came out. I added a little more garlic and salt, plus some chili powder and paprika)
Added the sauce to the cooked pasta, along with some wilted greens (kale, chard, spinach)
(don’t you just want to dive in?)
and served it up.
The recipe makes 4 servings, and the Pilot and I each couldn’t finish ours. (I had about 1.5 servings and he had around 2.5, covered in shredded cheese) It was extremely delicious –I loved the flavor from the squash!- and filling. I think it’s from all of the fiber (squash, pasta, veg) and protein- nutritional yeast isn’t messing around 😉
It was the Pilot’s first Oh She Glows meal and was a fan. His big thing with vegan food is that he doesn’t want it to pretend to be something else, he wants to know exactly what’s it in so he isn’t expecting the “real” thing and then end up disappointed. For example, I always tell him we’re having crispy tempeh instead of tempeh bacon… otherwise he’ll look at me and say “this is NOT bacon.” So when I told him we were having pasta with a butternut squash and nutritional yeast sauce, he was cool with it, instead of telling him we were having mac n’ cheese and him expecting the gooey mac n’ cheese that I’ll usually make for him.
Have you tried any new recipes lately?
I’m off to the gym and then running some errands before work. Hopefully my day involves some peppermint bark, too…..
See ya later! <3
xoxo
Gina
Something to read:
-25 clever ideas to make life easier
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Omg, that looks absolutely delicious!
And Bella is too cute: “Mommy, stop taking pictures and come play with me instead.” :-)))
I LOVE this recipe. I may make it all the time… How did the quinoa pasta work out? Did it hold up for you?
yes, it wasn’t as gummy as the brown rice pasta, too
I made this recipe as well last night, it has become a regular in our house the past few weeks!
Quinoa pasta is my go-to pasta. Ancient Harvest makes a great corn/quinoa blend that even picky eaters like!
For some reason butternut squash pasta /mac & cheese / lasgana is pretty trendy this year. I’ve made all kinds of stuff and it is all very good!
i’ve always loved butternut squash in lasagana, but it was my first time using it as a sauce base. loved it 🙂
The mac and cheese looks great! It would make a great kid meal too … I love to sneak veggies in wherever I can into their meals.
The other day I threw a cooked beet into their morning pancakes. It tasted great and made a fun pink color!
Totally tricked the BF into eating a vegan mac and cheese without telling him. He was being nice and didn’t want to say anything until I told him it was vegan; he was like, “I knew something was of! There wasn’t any cheese in the mac and cheese!” I haven’t messed around with food without telling him since.
I haven’t tried to a new recipe, but I tried a new tool in the kitchen. I finally pulled out my sandwich press grill and grilled some chicken and veggies!
I’ve wanted to try this recipe, too! My husband is the SAME way. He wants to know exactly what is on his plate. If I tell him it’s chicken and it’s actually Gardein chicken, he adamently proclaims “This is NOT chicken”. Men….
My fiance is the same way. He appreciates knowing exactly what’s in his food. I do always tell him if its the healthy version, so that his feedback and tips for improvements reflect that.
Try the OhSheGlows creamy avocado pasta sauce! It’s amazing on soba noodles. When the guys come over for dinner, they usually beg me to make it.
I tried making my own tortillas using Maseca, but they just tasted too much like corn for my liking.
I am learning how to make Singapore style chicken curry. It’s soooo good. If I make something vegan, it had better be SPECTACULAR or else my hubs turns his nose at it.
that meal looks delish, im a huge fun of butternut. ever tried it raw? i sometimes blend it with curry spices for a nice raw sauce 🙂
no i haven’t! it would probably be awesome spiralized with pasta sauce, though
This looks so yum! Is the recipe for the cheese sauce on the Oh She Glows site? I’ll have to look for that! Thanks Gina!
Oh wow I am SO making this! My BF loves mac and cheese and I’ve found a few healthy recipe alternatives and now I can add this one to the list!
I made this for my husband and myself a few months ago. I wish he would have enjoyed it like the Pilot did … oh well, there was more for me! 🙂
This looks so good! My bf is the same way…he wants to know exactly what he’s eating and doesn’t want to be tricked!!
I love OSG – Angela has some incredible recipes, and I agree with how you “inform” the pilot before he eats – while Rob just goes with it – he is really great about primarily eating psuedo-veg…he had blood work come back the other week, and the doctor couldn’t believe the overall change in his stats since he and I have been together…not that they were bad – but the dietary change has been great.
You look fab, and I hope your feeling the same –
Well I absolutely agree with the Pilot! I don’t like it when vegan food pretends to be something not vegan. Vegan food can be delicious and ‘real’ in its own right!
My favourite vegan mac and cheese recipe is this one http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2010/11/02/healthy-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe-vegan-squash/ but I would definitely give Oh she glows’ a try 😉
Hubby is the same way too. I have to tell him what it is without trying to disguise it. Usually, if I ask him to try something he gives me a look and asks “this isn’t that weird stuff, is it?” (weird stuff meaning anything vegan, gluten free, etc) me: “No. just eat it.” I have to tell him it’s vegan or gluten free or he gets horribly disappointed. i have been wanting to try this recipe too. The first/last time I had brown rice pasta though, ehhhhh. wasn’t a fan.
i liked the quinoa pasta better- it held its shape well and wasn’t gummy
I love that link you posted “25 clever ideas to make life easier.” So cool, gracias!
i liked that, too! the egg heart is my favorite 🙂
I love this recipe. I’ve played with it and made it a few different ways – including with sweet potatoe, peppers etc… s tasty!
I made this for my husband a few weeks ago and he didn’t believe that it was vegan! He actually asked me to make it for him the other night too 🙂 silly boys haha
Aside from the fact that it looks (and probably tastes) super yummy, did it taste even remotely like cheese? I’ll probably try it regardless, but I’m curious.
not like real cheese, but like nutritional yeast “cheeze.” the flavor is very similar, but still different
Yes.. I’m with Pilot.. I was a vegan for 4 years and I really dislike anything that is trying to be like the real version.. I always appreciate it for what it is- and most vegan dishes are pretty complex and flavorful.. in their own right.. But lets face it- there is NOTHING that tastes and acts just like cheese does- and the stuff that comes close is made with multiple unpronounceable ingredients that I just prefer not to eat in the first place. This dish looks fantastic 🙂
I agree! For instance, Daiya is the only tasty vegan cheese, but the ingredients skeeve me out and the ingredients in cheese are simple, real ingredients that I trust. I would rather have real cheese any day than a vegan cheese.
I made this recipe for a thanksgiving potluck and I thought it was incredible! I put roasted broccoli and cauliflower in mine. 🙂
Aaaannnddd…. dinner plans for tonight have now changed.
what a good idea!! i love quinoa pasta i think its so good. great recipe!
Love. It seriously looks so good. I would miss the cashews a little, but from what you said, it sounds cheesy and delicious!
My bf is the same way – it’s ok if it isn’t a meat-filled feast so long as I don’t try to “trick him into it” He loves the Oh She Glows pasta with the sauce made of pureed avocados and lemon zest… he still topped it with parmesan, but I considered him loving a cream-free creamy sauce a success.
I wish my boyfriend felt that way, his problem with veg food is that there’s no meat in it. 😉
For instance, if I make my chipotle black bean + sweet potato chili, he LOVES it, but then says “It’d be even better with meat in it”.
o.o
I just made it after looking at your post!!!! I just used canned pumpkin as I JUST got back from the store and wasn’t going back out to get a butternut squash lol! and it came out fantastic!! I use “Dreamfield” pasta.. it’s got a low carb index.. I LOVE the way it tastes. I know, however, that your quinoa pasta is probably more nutrient dense 🙂
I made this recipe last night too! Destroyed my kitchen but it is completely worth it! So delicious!
I am thinking about making this soon too ! Speaking of glowing though, Saturday at that new Asian restaurant we tried, some of our appetizers were literally GLOWING ! My photos didn’t turn out so good, so I grabbed this one from their website to give you an idea — http://www.orchidny.com/uploads/6/6/0/3/6603011/2991115_orig.jpg . All of the food was presented beautifully. That specific appetizer wasn’t one of the ones we ordered, but one of our guests sushi rolls came with an accompanying blue light d:
That does look pretty good! My husband is the same way with healthy recipes. If I say mashed potatoes and he sits down to find mashed sweet potatoes he is totally disappointed. He has accepted that all pasta is whole wheat or brown rice…it’s an improvement! Even though he works out just as much as I do he doesn’t get quite as into the healthy food.
That looks good…I wonder if I could fool my kids!? I’ve made Angela’s Creamy Avocado Pasta before and absolutely love it!
http://www.fitting-it-all-in.com/spaghetti-squash-with-huminara-sauce/
Spaghetti squash + marinara sauce + hummus + nutritional yeast = oh my word. maybe it sounds weird, but it is maybe the most delicious combo I’ve had in a while! I’ll have to try this one, though.
Yum Yum Yum! That looks delicious.
Also, I always feel like a gloomy vampire when I say this, but I looooove dark and rainy days!
I love Ange’s mac and cheeze recipe! Last night I tried a new one for Shish Tawook – it’s a Lebanese-style grilled chicken and after playing around with a few marinades, I think I finally got it right because it was delicious! Oh and ps. I love your ‘walk’ in Petsmart idea. Shopping walks are the best kind!
Quinoa spaghetti (Ancient Harvest Brand) is delicious too, if you get the chance to try it. My fiance is exactly the same way about vegan food! Happy to try it, but he likes to know when it’s not the real thing.
How is gluten-free pasta? Can you tell its not regular pasta? I’ve yet to try it but want to
I always enjoy the “something to read” section 🙂
What a delicious meal! 🙂 Definitely one that I need to check out!
I agree, I would rather know what exactly a food item is!
“first time making a vegan cheeze sauce sans cashews and I couldn’t believe how fantastic it came out. ” — very good to know AND I have had my eye on that sauce, too, not just for this mac n cheeze but just in general.
Good call with the Pilot and food names, i.e. bacon vs. crispy tempeh. Some people can get away with that sneaky chef stuff or creative nomenclature, but I find, like you, that just calling it what it IS rather than trying to be “creative” ends up being more positive and less, ahem, disappointment by others.
Wow, that mac ‘n’ cheese looks amazing and I love butternut squash. I must try it but I wonder if my 3 year old will eat it? I hope!
I just blogged about a yummy, easy salmon dish but it isn’t vegetarian obviously so won’t post it for you. 🙂 Your dog is too cute that she gets all excited when going to PetsMart.
Love Angela’s recipes! I haven’t tried this one, but definitely check out her Butternut Squash and Black Bean burritos- those got rave reviews from my husband (another meat and potatoes kind of guy!), so they’re guy tested and approved!
I am a huge fan of Oh She Glow’s recipes. I haven’t tried the Mac ‘n Cheeze yet, not a fan of mac n cheese really (which is funny since I love cheese and pasta), but I think I’ll have to try her’s. I love butternut squash. The only problem with butternut squash is that when I get my hands on one I really want to make OSG’s Black Bean and Butternut Squash burritos, sans the burrito part (I’m lazy). That was delicious and I always have to double the recipe to serve 3 people.
I basically just bought those ingredients, so I’m definitely going to give it a whirl! Also…maybe I should stop trying to trick my husband into eating my recipes, and just tell him like you suggest. I guess “honesty is the best policy” really is a universal truth 🙂
I love this recipe, and most importantly, my son loves it too! He cannot have dairy and I have been making “butternut squash mac- and cheese” for a long time, but only recently started adding the nutritional yeast to it, one of our favorite meals for sure!
Ana
I have been meaning to make this…I have butternut squash always stocked at my house so this was another helpful reminder of how amazing this recipe must be. 🙂
Looked great and good to know it turned out with the quinoa pasta.