Cauliflower with Blackbeans & Rotini

3 med carrots, cut into half-moons.
1/2 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
12 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
1 15oz can black beans, well rinsed
1 T margarine + 1 T canola oil
1 sm onion, diced
1 pkg chicken gravy mix + 1 pkg cheese sauce mix
1/2 shredded cheddar cheese



Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it has begun to bubble, add the carrots and cauliflower. Let cook a minute or so then add pasta. Cook all three until pasta is tender. Drain, reserving liquid for later use*.


Melt margarine in pot you cooked pasta & veggies in; add oil. Dice onion and add; cook until just translucent. Meanwhile, dissolve gravy mix in cold water as per pkg directions. Once its whisked smooth, pour into pot with onion. Whisk in cheese sauce mix and grated cheddar. Whisk or stir while heating to remove any lumps.

Drain black beans thoroughly. Add liquid to previously saved cooking water*. Rinse beans well, or the whole thing will turn a muddy grey-brown (still tasty, just not visually appealing). I rinsed my beans in a smaller sieve then added to the pasta-veggie mix in colander and rinsed all together.



Add pasta/veggie/bean mix to sauce. Stir thoroughly to coat, then warm through on medium-low heat. Serve!

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*I drained cooking water and bean juice together in a tub and froze it: next time I want to make soup, I'll have a hearty seasoned stock ready to go.

The cheese sauce came from a box of mac'n'cheese; the gravy mix was generic because I was feeling lazy. This meal could easily become vegan by making a roux out of 1/4 c. whole wheat flour & an equal amount of nutritional ('flake') yeast. Use leftover cooking liquid to thin the roux into gravy.

I also used Ched-O-Mate imitation cheese - because its cheap, readily available, and doesn't ever bother my dairy allergy (not lactose intolerance - dairy gives me asthma attacks). Vegetarians can use real shredded cheese; vegans can use a soy cheese or skip it altogether, as flake yeast makes a passable cheesey sauce.