Sunny Seeds Nutrition

. . . this is such a ‘grate’ recipe!

Okay – now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, let’s talk about our next vegetarian Instant Pot® (IP) recipe. This dish is delightful and somewhat decadent, so my kiddos know that it’s a ‘sometimes’ food/dish (“only once in a while.”) That being said – it is incredibly easy and fast to make, and I’ll be giving you ways to boost the nutrition quality of both the dish AND the overall meal. Let’s not wait one second longer!

*Instant Pot® Pasta and Cheese
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 pound of any desired high-fiber pasta (we try to use legume-based pastas [like Banza®] as much as possible in our home)
32 fluid ounces water
1 teaspoon salt
12 fluid ounces evaporated milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 fluid ounces water
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt & pepper for seasoning

Instructions

1. Pour pasta, broth and salt into the IP pot. Lock lid into place and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
2. Once cook cycle is over, do a quick release of the IP.
3. Set IP to low sauté.
4. Stir in evaporated milk, butter and water.
5. Add the cheese into the IP pot a little bit at a time, while stirring, until the cheese is completely incorporated.
6. If desired, add salt and pepper to taste.

To round out this dish at dinner time, I like to serve a delicious vegetable-filled salad or cut-up fresh vegetables.

Now that I’ve mentioned legume-based pasta in 2 recipes, I thought that this ingredient should be my Nutrition Highlight today. Examples of these pastas include those that are made from chickpeas, lentils or black beans.

LEGUME-BASED PASTA

Legume-based pasta contains:
Fiber: improves digestion and/or decreases blood cholesterol
Iron: used to make hemoglobin and myoglobin which are critical for oxygen transport throughout the body; also required for many hormones and the structure of our connective tissue
Phosphorus: critical part of cell membranes, DNA & RNA, important in bone mineralization, energy production, cell-signaling and body acid/base balance
Potassium: helps maintain proper blood pressure and fluid balance, lowers risk for kidney stones and is associated with increased bone mineral density
Protein: building blocks for blood, bone, cartilage, enzymes, hormones, muscle, and skin

So, that’s all for now. Please feel free to ask questions about my experience with the IP, Weekday Vegetarianism, legume-based pasta, general nutrition or whatever! See you next time!

References:
1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
2. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/phosphorus
3. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/

*Recipe adapted from here:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/5-ingredient-instant-pot-mac-and-cheese-3649854

Disclaimer:
Any content you find on Sunny Seeds Nutrition Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.