Recipe: Creamy macaroni

A versatile “cheese” sauce that’s delicious over noodles or as a sauce for your favorite steamed vegetables.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• ¾ - 1-pound yams, peeled and chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• ½ large sweet onion, chopped into large pieces
• ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 clove of garlic, minced/pressed
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
• Choice of noodles e.g. whole-grain macaroni

Directions

Boil peeled and chopped sweet potato, carrot and onion until fork tender.

Combine raw unsalted cashews, garlic powder, fresh garlic, onion powder, salt and 1 ½ cups of vegetable water (water from boiling the vegetables) in a food processor. Add the boiled sweet potato, carrot and onion. Process all ingredients until smooth (consistency of a sauce).

Combine sauce with your favorite noodles and top with scallions.

Add-in ideas: Beyond Meat or Morning Star grillers or crumbles or baked/grilled chicken. The cheese sauce also makes a wonderful topping for steamed vegetables, e.g. broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)*:

*Does not include noodles

53 calories, 1g fat, 10g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 20mg sodium

Recipe from Cecilia Jacobson, Registered Dietitian for the Oregon Heart and Vascular Institute at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.