BAKED VEGETABLES WITH MACRONI

My son loves baked vegetables and its one of the ways of getting him to eat all those veggies which he would otherwise make a face for. Hence there are some here that you would otherwise not find in a vegetable bake like peas and sprouts, but then who cares as long as they taste good and manage to find a place in your kids tummy.

 

Here I have also used whole wheat flour to make white sauce, and guess what I find it easier making the sauce in a micro so that's the method that's shown here.

 

BAKED VEGETABLES WITH MACARONI

INGREDIENTS

VEGETABLES
Cauliflower florets	7 – 8 nos
Broccoli florets	7 – 8 nos
Mushrooms (quartered)	4 – 5 nos
Carrots( cut in sticks 1 cm by 3 cm approx)	½ cup
Baby corn (sliced)	8 – 10 nos
Sweet corn kernels	¼ cup
Capsicum (sliced)	½  no
Red pepper (sliced)	½  no
Yellow pepper (sliced)	½  no
Green peas (shelled)	¼ cup
Garlic cloves sliced	5 – 6 nos
Bean sprouts	½ cup
WHITE SAUCE
Butter	2 tbsp
Maida / refined flour OR wheat flour	2 tbsp
Milk	½ liter
Salt	T.T.
Pepper pdr	T.T.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Macaroni	1 cup
Pizza pasta sauce	3 – 4 tbsp
Olive oil	1 tbsp
Chilli flakes	½ tsp + ½ tsp
Oregano / mix herb	½ tsp + ½ tsp
Processed cheese	2 cubes

METHOD:

1.       Bring a heavy bottomed pot with half filled water to boil. Add salt and a few drops of oil to it. Add in the macaroni and cook till it is just cooked to the bite but still retains shape. Drain and refresh under cold water.

VEGETABLES

2.       Steam the veggies except mushrooms, capsicum and red and yellow peppers or parboil them till half cooked and still crunchy. Refresh them under cold water and drain.

3.       You can also pressure cook them without water till the pressure builds up, but do not allow to whistle.

4.       Immediately release the pressure and remove the steam from the cooker and refresh the veggies under cold water.

5.       Heat olive oil, add the garlic and allow it to lightly colour.

6.       Then add in the capsicum, red and yellow peppers and stir fry on high heat till it starts to colour at the sides.

7.       Now add in all the parboiled veggies and stir fry on high flame. Add the mushrooms and stir.

8.       Sprinkle salt chilli flakes and oregano or mix herbs. Remove and cool.

WHITE SAUCE

9.       Melt the butter in a micro safe bowl for 30 sec on high.

10.   Add the flour to it and mix till it is well incorporated in the butter. Again micro for a minute checking and mixing at 30 sec intervals.

11.   The flour will bubble and become frothy.

12.   Pour in hot milk, little at a time and simultaneously whisk it so that lumps are not formed. You need to be fast since the flour and milk are both hot and so the flour tends to absorb the milk, starts cooking and thickening.

13.   The sauce should be of pouring consistency. Micro again for 2 minutes checking and whisking at 30 second intervals. Add salt and pepper. Check the consistency of the sauce, it should be thick but should be able to pour in a thick stream.

ASSEMBLING

14.   Divide the macaroni, vegetables and white sauce each into 2 parts.

15.   In a large micro safe bowl put one part of the boiled macaroni at the base in an even layer. Sprinkle some chilli flakes and oregano or mix herb on it.

16.   On top of this put one part of the vegetables. Spread evenly till the corners of the bowl. Spread little pizza pasta sauce on top.

 

17.   Pour one part of the white sauce till evenly coated on top.

 

18.   Repeat the process again as step 14, 15 and 16 with the second part of the macaroni, vegetables and white sauce in layers.

 

19.   The top should be covered with sauce.

20.   Sprinkle grated cheese evenly on top. Micro for 3 – 4 minutes till the cheese melts and the top bubbles.

 

21.   Another way of doing it is where you can mix the pizza pasta sauce with the vegetables and macaroni with the sauce leaving a little sauce for the top layer and just alternate the layers with macaroni and vegetables finally pouring the sauce on top. Sprinkle grated cheese and bake.

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