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You are here: Home / Weekend / Ratatouille Meets Mac ‘n Cheese

May 5, 2008

Ratatouille Meets Mac ‘n Cheese

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After a nice workout of ellipticaling, biking and abs, I came home to put something together. As indecisive as I am, I quickly decided on a pasta + vegetable dish. For a sauce, I made the nutritional yeast queso from a few weeks ago. The result turned out to be somewhat of a mix between ratatouille and mac ‘n cheese. However, the queso sauce was a little too watered down today. I think I needed more nutr. yeast! 

I broiled eggplant, zucchini + tomato for about 8 minutes. Then tossed that with 2 oz of cooked whole wheat macaroni, 2 big handfuls of wilted spinach (tossed into the pasta water at the last minute) and the cheese sauce. Topped with a little grated parmesan:

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I added a few strawberries for a fruit serving to go with it. (It’s finally strawberry season and they taste delicious!)

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Outdoor dining accompanied by Cooking Light Magazine.

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Thoughts On Eating

The pro to eating lunch at home is the freedom to be creative and have something hot and fresh.

The con? Knowing when to stop! With a packed lunch, when you’re done you’re done. But at home, with an unlimited fridge and pantry, it’s tempting to eat more than you need just because it’s there.

I’m doing really well without counting calories. It is refreshing to put together meals based on the most wholesome ingredients. (Not that I didn’t do that before, and not that I don’t still consider portions and food group balance, but it’s almost like if you’re not going to monitor portions by calories, then you need to make sure you are making the best choices. Again, the focus becomes health and not just weight management.) But counting was always a way to help me know when I’d had enough. But now it’s just me, my stomach, and my willpower. While I have general idea of how much my lunch was, it’s still tempting to go nibble on more things.

Thankfully, the willpower won today (or at least for now 🙂 ) because I decided my stomach is satisfyingly full. If I need a snack sooner rather than later, I’ll have one!

* * *

I’m off to go study in the hammock. This is the time of year to be outside – it’s going to be too hot and humid soon!

More posts from Kath:

Filed Under: Weekend Tagged With: Eggplant, Pasta, Spinach, Zucchini

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Comments

  1. Monica says

    May 5, 2008 at 12:44 pm

    That pasta looks so good. I like eating lunch at home because you can be creative like that! But I do feel that it’s harder to stop a home versus out and about with a packed lunch.

    Reply
  2. Julz says

    May 5, 2008 at 12:48 pm

    I am IN LOVE with that mosaic table!!! I’ve seen it before in other lovely outdoor dining pictures, but it is just SO exquisite :). The colors, especially, such summer elegance, don’t you think?!

    Quick question: I bought some Nooch from the bulk section in Whole Foods over the weekend and wanted to know if you had any ideas for it! I’m trying to “sneak” it into dinner tonight, bc if my dad and brother know it’s in there it’ll totally cloud their smelly boy brains! We have ingredients for fajitas, but no one in my family really puts “cheese” sauce on their fajitas! Tilapia and ground Turkey are also possible dishes! Any input from you, or any other readers would be sweet 🙂 Thanks!

    I think you’re doing so well, Kath. It’s so much fun to see how the nutritionist forming within you! Any interest in moving to Philadephia? haha. just kidding.

    Enjoy the rest of your day! From one studyworm to another! 😉

    Reply
  3. Heather says

    May 5, 2008 at 12:55 pm

    Yum! I’ve sprinkled nutritional yeast on salads, but never thought of it for a cheese sauce…

    Looks like a lovely spring meal!

    Reply
  4. Kelly L. says

    May 5, 2008 at 1:02 pm

    Does this sound gross…

    Okay, I typically make my spaghetti squash with diced tomatoes, peppers and onions but tonight i was thinking of having it Cinco D Mayo style with peppers onions and SALSA. The salsa would be my sauce. I make a homeade salsa with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. I’d serve it warm. Has anyone tried this or something similar. I hate to waste a whole squash….

    Reply
  5. Andrea says

    May 5, 2008 at 1:15 pm

    great attitude kath…you’re very inspiring!! what do you generally do for abs at the gym? (i want your abs haha they look soooo great in the vaca pics)

    Reply
  6. Teddy says

    May 5, 2008 at 1:18 pm

    I am still jealous you got to see Reese and Jake. That is just too cool!
    I agree on the pros and cons but to me, a hot meal definitely is the best. Sandwiches just arent as satisfying…

    Teddy

    Reply
  7. JennS says

    May 5, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    hey kath, just wondering what type of grill you guys have. i am on the lookout for the perfect one! Thanks! (anyone else have suggestions?)

    Reply
  8. Kelsey says

    May 5, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    Kelly L.-

    I’ve made spaghetti squash and eaten it with diced onions, salsa, a little LF cheese, and a little LF sour cream and I thought it was excellent. I think it was the night after I had made a taco salad and I thought I would try all my leftover toppings on spaghetti squash.

    Enjoy!

    Reply
  9. Katie says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    So delicious looking! next time my husband asks for pasta this is totally what I’m making. SOOOOO jealous of you hanging out in the hammock! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Claire says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:03 pm

    That look amazing! I wish that had been my lunch!

    Reply
  11. LisaR says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:04 pm

    First off…I’m impressed, Kath, with your willpower and your desire to want to eat healthy and intuitively! i’m working on the intuitive part still…i just love munching on snacks before meals! (even if they are healthy ones!)

    Secondly…

    who has a problem with being gassy??!? lol I don’t mean to be crude but my goodness b/n all the fruit, fiber, and veggies I eat I seem to be like this ALL the time! I feel like this topic has been addressed b4 but I can’t remember. I need help! I know there isn’t anything you can do besides change your diet but my diet consists of healthy things. What do you guys do to help prevent this uncomfortable problem??

    thanks 🙂

    Reply
  12. Romina says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:06 pm

    Don’t be afraid to add more nutritional yeast if you feel it’s lacking. =)

    I’m glad to hear your journey without counting calories is going well!

    Reply
  13. VeggieGirl says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    Mmm, what a refreshing pasta lunch!

    So glad that the no-calorie-counting is working out for you – I hope that it continues to do so!

    Good luck studying!!

    Reply
  14. Tara says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    Weird question, Kath. Were you tempted to make enough pasta for leftovers? I tend not to made just one serving of pasta, so that I have a guaranteed lunch already prepared. What do you think?

    Reply
  15. Cara says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:15 pm

    Nice looking mac n cheese. I had my own combo today with some home made guacamole, tomatoes, cilantro and onions (which I am sure you would hate, oops).

    I hope you have a fantastic day. I am sure the not counting calories thing will really work out for you, since you have all of it ingrained already! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Tara says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:15 pm

    Another thing, when’s the next photo of what’s inside your fridge? I am struggling with having too much/too little in our fridge. If either of those happen, we eat out. )-:

    Reply
  17. Betsy says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    that is sooo true about having a packed lunch vs. lunch at home. i think that’s why it is so much easier to stay on track during the week when I’m at work.

    Reply
  18. yaz says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:26 pm

    yummy… i must try the nutritional yeast queso. where can i find it?

    Reply
  19. Katers says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    Funny you mention the work/home lunch thing! I’m home from work sick today, and I have been commending myself all day for not living in the kitchen – the way I usually do when I’m home all day. I find the office is harder though – I don’t have candy and cookies at home, but they’re all over the office!

    Reply
  20. Justy2003 says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:38 pm

    I definitely agree with the eating at home…if I’m not busy with something at home I find myself munching! Today, however, I wish I WAS having lunch at home because I forgot about half of it there! 🙁

    I’ve tried not counting calories before and ended up gaining a few pounds (nothing major), but I think I’m gonna give it a try again. I haven’t counted since Thursday…I had my “free” day Friday and then just haven’t started counting again. We’ll see what happens this time around! Hopefully I’ve learned something since I tried this last time (about 7-8 months ago)! I think your blog will definitely help me out though, Kath!

    Reply
  21. Amandamoo says

    May 5, 2008 at 2:48 pm

    Kelly L-sounds delicious to me!

    Anyone have a link for info on how to do the nutritional yeast? What are the nutritional stats on it?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  22. hk says

    May 5, 2008 at 3:08 pm

    what a pretty bowl of pasta, yum! So spring-like, light, and fresh looking 🙂

    Reply
  23. Hannah says

    May 5, 2008 at 3:16 pm

    You just reminded me that I still need to read the new issue of cooking light, which I think is hidden somewhere under the boyfriend’s piles of car magazines…

    Reply
  24. Kiala says

    May 5, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    Oooh, I had vegetable pasta too.

    I did not, however, have my own monogrammed napkin.

    Or any napkin.

    I should probably check my face.

    Reply
  25. Maria says

    May 5, 2008 at 4:24 pm

    Wow, that pasta looks delicious! I’m done with exams tomorrow, so I finally get to go home and cook for myself… I think I’ll give this a whirl!

    Kath- congrats on your no-calorie-counting progress so far. I’m on the same track; listening to your body is a surprisingly tricky task, but so worthwhile.

    Reply
  26. Ashley says

    May 5, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    Did you salt the eggplant? Iwas going to grill eggplant yesterday but I am so confused about the whole salting thing!! Please help!

    Reply
  27. working says

    May 5, 2008 at 4:58 pm

    I can relate to the home versus office lunch thing. I’m working on my dissertation, so I’m home a lot and I find that it’s REALLY hard to keep from snacking all the time. I stay on track more when I work elsewhere and have to pack or buy food. But then I don’t have all my stuff!

    Reply
  28. Sidi says

    May 5, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    Having any meal outside is great. Enjoy the good weather!

    Reply
  29. JessieP says

    May 5, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    Hey Kath, i know your super busy right now with finals coming up, but just for the future i find it really helpful when you post grocery store trips and i think other readers do to…so maybe if when you have time and things settle down you could throw that in here again 🙂

    Reply
  30. Ally says

    May 5, 2008 at 6:30 pm

    That meal looks fantastic!

    I’m excited for the summer because I am going to ‘get in shape’ for college this summer and strive to work out and eat the healthiest meals possible. But, like you mentioned I will be home all day and i’m slightly nervous about being near the kitchen!

    I know I definitely eat more on the weekends!

    Reply
  31. Sara says

    May 5, 2008 at 6:33 pm

    Hi Kath,

    Do you find that you are still subconsciously counting calories even despite your best efforts not to?

    Reply
  32. jsr31 says

    May 5, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    LisaR-
    I have some definite “digestive” issues…why is eating well so hard on our bodies? Unfortunately I don’t have any great recommendations. I would love to hear from people though!

    Reply
  33. Jen says

    May 5, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    happy cinco de mayo to all (just in case you celebrate it)!!!
    anyway, this is pretty random, but kath when is your birthday? i wanted to send you some speciality chocolates i think you’ll love from nyc (aka: my home)…
    would you be comfortable with that? DON’T WORRY i would make sure its a sealed item just to eliminate any concerns you may have about “tampering” with the food. not that i would send you, like, anthrax chocolates or something, but you know how people worry now a days. (lol)!!!

    Reply
  34. Kath says

    May 5, 2008 at 7:34 pm

    Julz,
    I hope I’m not too late for dinner, but I think queso sauce on fajitas sounds great!!

    Andrea ,
    Thanks for the compliment 🙂 My favorite ab exercise is the ab roller – that handles-on-wheels thing from the mid-90s. It works wonders! I also do a lot of planks and stability ball stuff. But my ab workouts are often the first thing to get dropped so I really need to get a better routine going with more variation.

    JennS,
    We have a Weber – we got it at Lowes last spring. It’s great.

    Yaz,
    I found the nutri. yeast in bulk at EarthFare. I’d ask the manager of your local health foods store.

    Ashley,
    I did NOT salt the eggplant and I thought it tasted fine. I’m not sure how necessary that is. I’ve seen Rachel Ray just put it in recipes too without salting. Just skip it!

    JessieP ,
    Sorry! I know I’ve been neglecting the grocery store trips. I’m going out of town soon though, but I’ll try to get one in when I return – I won’t have a ‘normal’ trip for about a week and a half.

    Sara ,
    Yes, I still have an idea how many calories I’m eating at each meal, but I think that’s just because I’m so used to it. For example, at lunch I just thought “200 for the pasta, probably 75 or so for the sauce, another 50-75 for the veggies, 50 strawberries.” But it’s on a much, much more general scale and I’m not recording or measuring nearly as much. I think it’ll take some time for me to really be able to put together meals without a rough estimation. But you know, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a rough estimation. If it keeps me from super-sizing my meal, then it’s probably a good idea as long as it’s not a hassle (and it really has never been a hassle, but I’m still enjoying the transition).

    Jen ,
    Haha – my birthday isn’t until October 26! But I love chocolate and will look forward to the fall 🙂

    Kath

    Reply
  35. Tara says

    May 7, 2008 at 9:51 am

    Weird question, Kath. Were you tempted to make enough pasta for leftovers? I tend not to made just one serving of pasta, so that I have a guaranteed lunch already prepared. What do you think?

    Another thing, when’s the next photo of what’s inside your fridge? I am struggling with having too much/too little in our fridge. If either of those happen, we eat out. )-:

    Reply
  36. Kath says

    May 7, 2008 at 10:08 am

    Tara,
    I don’t really like leftovers that much, so I rarely make them (unless it’s something plain – like wheatberries or beans). But when my summer schools starts, you’ll see a lot more leftovers. It is a great way to save time.

    I’ll try to do a fridge post soon!

    K

    Reply

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    I'm a Registered Dietitian, healthy eater, and mom of two from Charlottesville, Virginia. Here you’ll find a healthy mix of real-life meals made from whole ingredients balanced with the pleasures of life, including buttercream frosting and good wine. Plus a sprinkle of nutrition, home life, beauty, parenting, and travel.
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