I love these baked vegetables. They are healthy and delicious and take very little time. I have devised my own version of Bechamel sauce which many people may frown upon but I like it a lot because I can serve it to my family guilt free!

Recently a friend of mine told me that he follows my blog ... that was completely unexpected and I felt very honored to hear him say that. This is an easy vegetarian recipe that I really hope he can try to make too ....

Baked vegetables

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Carrots (diced/long bias)

1 cup Green beans (cut into 1 inch pieces)

1 1/2 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup green peas (frozen)

1 cup corn kernels (frozen)

1 1/2 cups full cream milk

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil 6 cups water and add 1 1/2 tsps salt to it. Add the carrots, cauliflower and beans till they are almost done. Add the frozen peas and corn and boil for a couple of minutes till they are heated through and tender. Drain the vegetables when they are done and reserve 1/2 cup of the discared water.

Preheat an oven to 200 C/395 F.

In a saucepan, mix the cold milk and flour with a whisk till no lumps remain. Put the pan over medium fire and stir continuously. When the sauce heats up, the mixture is going to thicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes till the sauce reaches a smooth and pourable consistency. If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with some of the reserved water from the boiled vegetables. If it feels thin, then add another 2 tsps of flour to 1/4 cup milk, mix and add to the sauce.

When the sauce feels like it is ready, add the salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes in the pan. Taste one more time for salt/pepper and adjust seasonings if needed.

Pour the vegetables into a glass baking dish and level on top with a spoon. Sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs on top and bake in the oven till the cheese has melted, crumbs are golden brown and vegetables are bubbling at the edges.

Serve with a crusty French bread and a side salad.

Note: In order to make this dish quicker, the oven is preheated and sauce is prepared while the vegetables are boiling.