mac n' cheese.

it's friday which means it's time for more comfort food of course. i'm coming to realize that i'm not always just looking to be soothed by food because of a reason, a catastrophe or a heartbreak. sometimes, yes that is the case. but in short, i love food. and comfort food is probably in my top tier of loved foods. many a recipes have already shown up on this short blog that attest to that statement. from goulash to chili to of course cookies and more cookies.

while i know my love for food will remain a lifelong love, i have made it a mission to find a way to love food without expanding my waistline too much. trust me when i say this is really hard. i'm always trying to modify recipes so they taste just as good (or better!) as the original intended fatty-filled yumminess, but without the food tasting like "diet" (insert: gasp) food.

i'm going into work for a later shift tonight, so a sandwich and various snacks will fit the bill for those 8 hours. but this afternoon i wanted something more satiating, and decided mac n' cheese would fill my tummy to just the right depth.

first boil water for 3/4 cup whole wheat spirals. cook about 12 minutes, add in 1/4 cup peas with about 5 minutes left and let boil together before draining.
to make the sauce or roux as its really called, you'll need butter, milk, flour and cheese. the other ingredients i add are completely optional.

so warm a smallish skillet to medium heat, add a few sprays of cooking spray and 1 teaspoon of real honest-to-God unsalted butter, along with 1/8 teaspoon minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon minced shallot.
once this is melted down, add 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk quickly. this will come together very fast into a doughish type ball. in fact, it came together so quickly that i didn't have time to snap the photo.
then add 1/2 cup of milk and keep whisking for about 2 mintues. also season with salt, pepper, red pepper flake and a dash of nutmeg to taste.
then add in 2 tablespoons of 2 percent fat cheddar cheese.

let this cook together, it will get very creamy in no time. i even added a few tablespoons of chicken broth to the sauce for a little depth of flavor as the kids:)

once your pasta and peas are done cooking add them right to the pan and give it a good stir before adding to your favorite bowl.
you may have noticed i've been using this bowl a lot lately. for one its super cute and i got it for only 75 cents at the good will. but for two its not a huge bowl, its decent size, but not massive. so if you're just cooking a portion for one, it fills the bowl and you're going in satisfied because it seems overwhelming. we all eat with our eyes first and this fake out really helps me stay on track.
also most importantly, this was really quite delicious. i was concerned that using skim milk and semi-low-fat cheese would leave me feeling cheated, but the butter must have saved the day because it really tasted decadent in the way that mac n' cheese should always, always taste decadent.