Hello! Welcome back, Dani. Welcome back, reader! I’ve been wanting some material worthy of blogging about, and I stumbled through a new recipe for dinner tonight that I felt is definitely worth the share! I tend to get creative most days anyway when it comes to food, and Rob and I are very open minded and forage in all sorts of ways for meals (i.e. we are not picky eaters), but I really thought through this one and it turned out delicious. I snapped a few pictures through the process just in case it was a winner, so I could share it with you. 🙂 It can be tweaked to your preference or dietary restrictions so read on!
Have you ever seen these noodles?
They make two versions; Edamame and Black Bean! And check out how high protein they are! We have both, and got them at Costco. They are a funky alternative to traditional pasta and a great way to get in some extra protein if you want. Anyway, that’s what prompted this meal because we’ve had them in the pantry for awhile now and I just never think to use them in anything. So tonight I wanted to make something using the Edamame Noodles. We also grilled a bunch of chicken Sunday evening and had three pieces of it leftover. So I thought, grilled chicken plus noodles equals a great start to Chicken Alfredo! So here we are.
Rob and I rarely keep cheese on hand because we eat very little of it, so I didn’t have any parmesan. We also don’t drink milk, but just so happened to have a little bit leftover from some I bought about a week ago to make cornbread with. And if you’ve read through my food blogs before you know I how I hate waste- every food item has a destiny and it’s our responsibility to see that through, so it was really bothering me I had this half gallon of milk in the fridge with no destiny. Then I spotted a head of cauliflower in the fridge and knew what to do. Cauliflower is really one of the most versatile veggies there is. Why people dog cauliflower all the time I have no idea. You can actually make it really tasty in a bunch of different ways, but I digress, I’ll step down off my cauliflower soapbox (can you also make soap from cauliflower?)
You can make this with our without milk, so the version I made tonight is technically not paleo, but would have been had I not had that milk, and I feel it would have been just as rich and creamy.
Here’s the line up:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1/2 onion
- a few cloves of garlic
I sautéed all of that in some coconut oil and seasoned it with salt, pepper and flaked red pepper.
After a few minutes in the hot pan, I covered it with a cup of water, put a lid on it and let it simmer for ten minutes. The cauliflower won’t be covered, but it was enough to get everything to soften up.
I cut up the leftover chicken, and started my water boil for the noodles. So far, super easy.
After the cauliflower simmered, I poured the entire contents into my blender/food processor. Then I added about half a cup of milk (maybe more, I wasn’t measuring). Purée until smooth, and add more liquid as needed to thin it out as desired. Here is where you can either just add water/chicken stock or even almond milk or whatever paleo alternative you want if you’re avoiding dairy.
I decided it would be bad luck to make ANY variation of Alfredo without using some Kerrygold butter. So I made room. Added in some Italian seasoning, stirred, and it was ready to eat!
The noodles have a green tint to them (obviously) but their texture is pretty decent and they have very little flavor to be honest. So, feel comfortable using this in whatever you would ordinarily use pasta for because it will just take on whatever other flavors you’re incorporating. 
The finished plate! The “alfredo sauce” came out fairly thick, and I feel like you could even get away with half a head of cauliflower if you wanted. Overall though, I loved the texture and felt it to be really rich and creamy. 
If you’re on the fence about cauliflower, I promise this will change your heart! If you try it, let me know what you think and how you made this recipe your own. Remember, food is fun and powerful . Eat good, feel good, do good.
The Wayfaring Friend 