Is it safe to assume that no one else is in the mood for salad, either? Normally, I LOVE salad, but right now, it actually turns my stomach. To be honest, the only things that appeal right now are carbs: pizza, mac and cheese, and any form of chips. I blame it on stress. Currently, I don’t know a single person that ISN’T stressed. (Heck, even my cats are stressed. Sweet little 11-pound Lilah keeps growling at anyone who pulls into our driveway.)
So, I’m trying to find some middle ground: something that is healthy and easy to make, but has enough carbs and protein to release some serotonin to boost my mood and alleviate stress. Believe it or not, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are incredible mood boosters. Who knew? According to psychcentral.com, chickpeas are not only high in protein and fiber, but they also contain massive amounts of tryptophan, folate and vitamin B6. And these are some of the building blocks of serotonin. So, I messed around in my kitchen and made a Healthy-ish Mac and Cheese that uses Banza Pasta (made from chickpeas), plain yogurt, cheddar cheese and a package of frozen broccoli—all stuff that I had in my pantry or freezer. It’s a one-pot gluten-free meal that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. And it’s chock full of protein and fiber and even has some veggies! Win-Win!!
Healthy-ish Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Large pot
- cheese grater
- Stovetop
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 1 box Banza pasta
- 1 10-16 oz package frozen broccoli (preferably steamable in the bag)
- 1 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek, doesn't matter)
- 1½-2 cups grated cheddar cheese (the sharper the better)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 pinch onion powder (optional)
- 1 pinch sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Banza according to the directions on the package. It takes me about 6-8 minutes to cook Banza on the stovetop.
- While the Banza is cooking, steam the bag of frozen broccoli in the microwave. This should take 5 minutes or less.
- Grate 1½ to 2 cups of cheddar cheese. We like ours pretty cheesy, so we often use 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese.
- After the Banza has cooked, drain the pasta and place back into the pot.
- Add yogurt, cheese, and dijon mustard to the pasta and gently stir until well mixed.
- Add the broccoli to the pasta and stir.
- Season to taste with sea salt and onion powder.
My family has been eating a lot of this Healthy-ish Mac and Cheese lately. It’s yummy, cheesy comfort food with a healthy twist! And don’t worry, if you still have lots of leftover baby spinach or salad greens in your fridge, just turn them into my Dino-Pops. They’re a lot more palatable that way!!!
Stay safe, healthy, and sane, my friends!