A weekend conversation between me and Preston:
P: will you still love me if I go Paleo? I guess that’s kind of as opposite as our diets can get…
Me: no, we’d both eat a ton of vegetables. You do realize doing Paleo well means you’ll actually have to eat a lot of vegetables, right? It’s not just meat.
P: I know. I can eat vegetables. ….but no pizza!!!!
Me: Nope, no pizza. Or Chinese food.
P: Oh my gosh, I don’t think I can go Paleo.
Me: No sushi either. Or is sashimi allowed?
P: Maybe I’ll be mostly Paleo.
Me: What does that mean?
P: I don’t know. I can’t be Paleo. That was short-lived, huh?
The conversations about food between us are all over the board. We both LOVE food, but we both try to be healthy. That’s already a tough combo, but when you’ve got a couple who eat so differently that the things they can always agree on are Thai food, Chinese takeout, Indian, and sushi, it can be really tempting to forego cooking at home and rely on unhealthy takeout.
So it’s meals like this cauliflower alfredo pasta sauce that I just love. Something for both of us. Something healthy, but that feels kind of splurge-worthy. Something that sneaks some extra veggies in for my veggie-loathing boyfriend.
I’ve been procrastinating trying cauliflower alfredo for weeks, since my sister told me about it. Now I’ve made it twice in the last two weeks, and made my last batch a huge double batch (I’m using leftovers tonight to make this cheesy garlicky fantastic-ness!)
It’s way creamier than you can possibly imagine. Granted, it doesn’t have that super rich flavor of a normal alfredo (Preston admittedly wished it did but he still cleaned his plate), but you can melt in a teeny margarine or a bit of Daiya if you need it.
Hope you love it as much as I do!
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 2 C cauliflower florets
- 2 C unsweetened almond milk
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 C nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 T cornstarch
- 2 T water
- Boil pasta. Meanwhile, combine cauliflower, almond milk, and garlic in a large saucepan and simmer until the cauliflower is really tender. I got lucky and this timed perfectly – I set water boiling for the pasta while I cut up my cauliflower and set that up. I threw the pasta in boiling water right about the same time the cauliflower started simmering, and the cauliflower was done a few minutes before the pasta!
- Pour cauliflower, almond milk, and garlic in a blender. Add nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. Pour back into the saucepan on medium heat. Whisk cornstarch with 2 T water, and slowly stir into the cauliflower alfredo until it reaches the consistency you want to pour over your pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste, and you’re good to go! Just toss with pasta 🙂
- Nutrition facts per serving (sauce only): Calories: 74; Calories from Fat: 17; Total Fat: 1.9g; Sodium: 112mg; Potassium: 486mg; Total Carbohydrates: 10.3g; Dietary Fiber: 4.3g; Sugars: 1.2g; Protein: 6.2g
I crisped up a piece of Gardein Chick’n Scallopini while Preston threw a chicken breast on the George Foreman. We made our own salads on the sides. A perfect meal for two foodies who eat so differently!
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