Comfort Food With A Twist

One Pan Creamy Orzo

This dish bakes in one pan and is super creamy and delicious. You could add meat, but I wanted to keep this dish a bit lighter.

Ingredients

• 2 cups orzo, uncooked
• 1-2 zucchinis, diced small
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and grated
• Handful kale or spinach, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp pesto
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can 2% evaporated milk
• 2 cups broth
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a 9 x 13 baking pan, or large baking dish, add orzo, zucchini, grated squash, kale, garlic pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, the entire can of evaporated milk, and 2 cups of broth.
3. Add salt and pepper and stir until everything is combined.
4. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes. (Add more broth if seems dry).
5. Remove, stir, and place back in the oven uncovered for another 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.
6. Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Mac n Cheese

Sweet Potato contains vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and fibre. When we are looking to avoid colds and flu, it’s important we eat foods with lots of vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep us as healthy as possible. Also, it is delicious and an easy way to sneak those vitamins into your family meals!

Ingredients

• 2 cups macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 1 white onion, diced
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup flour
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups milk
• 1 heaping cup of sweet potato, cooked
• 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic
• 1 head of roasted garlic (optional but delicious)
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp dried parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. In a frying pan, add half the butter and cook the onions until soft. Add half of the fresh garlic here and cook until fragrant.
4. Add thyme and flour and whisk.
5. Cook for a minute, then add salt and pepper.
6. Pour in milk while whisking vigorously. It will thicken. Take off heat.
7. In a blender, add cooked sweet potato, roasted garlic (if using), milk & onion mixture (REMOVE THYME IF FRESH!), and cheese. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
8. Back to the frying pan.
9. Add remaining butter. Add remaining half of fresg garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add panko breadcrumbs and parsley and stir constantly until breadcrumbs are toasted.
10. Add sauce to macaroni and pour into an oven safe pan. Top with breadcrumbs and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

High Fibre Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies (in fact my family has decided they are indeed, the BEST cookie) and these ones include extra fibre to make me feel better about eating a bunch of them. There is nothing wrong with eating a cookie, but when you can get some benefits as well…why not?

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat/whole grain flour
• 1 cup oat flour (ground oats)
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch sea salt
• 3/4 cup butter. Softened
• 3/4 cup date sugar/white sugar
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Sift together flours, flaxmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream together coconut oil, date sugar and maple syrup.
4. Add vanilla and eggs. Cream until light and fluffy.
5. Add dry ingredients all at once and stir until just
6. combined.
7. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Using a teaspoon or disher, place heaping drops on a parchment paper covered baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches in between each cookie.
9. Bake in middle of oven for 10-14 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
10. Allow to cool before eating.