Super Greens Mac and Cheese

• total time: 48 minutes

Ingredients

As a nutritionist you know I love to get in my greens but you know what is better than green juice? mac and cheese.

you will need to serve 4

under 530kcal & 35g protein per portion

1 head broccoli

1 leek

2 handfuls shredded kale or cavolo nero

1 courgette, deseeded

2 cloves garlic

2 sticks celery

1 banana shallot or small red onion

100g frozen peas

200g dry-weight pasta

80-100g grated strong cheese (I used a combo of mature cheddar and Gruyère)

1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

1 chicken stock cube

1/2 tsp dried rosemary or fresh

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

650-750ml semi-skimmed milk (or any milk you like)

250g cooked weight shredded chicken

for the crumb top

80g whole grain bread (stale is easier to blitz or toast slightly)

1 small garlic clove

handful of fresh basil

handful of fresh parsley

pinch salt

Directions

Finely chop the leek, celery, shallot, and garlic. Halve the courgette lengthways, remove the seeds, and finely chop the flesh. Shred the broccoli into small bites and roughly chop the cavolo nero or kale.

Heat a large pan over medium heat with a little olive oil. Add the leek, celery, shallot, courgette, and garlic with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened, then add rosemary and black pepper.

Mix in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add the stock cube and Dijon mustard, then simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened but still saucey. Loosen with more milk if needed.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 8 minutes until al dente, then drain and set aside.

Stir the chicken, peas, cavolo nero, and broccoli into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until vibrant and cooked down. If it’s not saucy enough add a splash more milk as you don’t want it dry! Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese to melt, and season to taste. Mix in the cooked pasta and transfer to a baking dish.

Blitz the bread, garlic, basil, parsley, and salt into crumbs, then scatter over the pasta. Bake at 195°C fan for 15 minutes until golden. Rest before serving, I like to have it with a side salad.