Baked Cauliflower Alfredo

In Britain this dish is called “cauliflower cheese”, and wherever you are it’s a tasty way to get your veggies. It’s traditionally made with dairy, so I recreated it as a plant-based dish.

The baked casserole is so creamy and comforting.

We serve it over brown rice pasta, like a creamy cauliflower alfredo.

Even the kids at our table who aren’t super keen on cauliflower will gobble this down. It’s a nice side dish for a holiday dinner, or you can just enjoy it as a main meal too.

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Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 1 400g block firm tofu, drained
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-2 medium clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp white miso or mirin
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

Pour hot water over the cashews and let them soak for at least 10 minutes to soften.

While the cashews are soaking, chop the cauliflower up into bite-sized pieces. You can pre-cook the cauliflower either by roasting them with a bit of olive oil at 390F for 20 minutes, or steam them with a little bit of water on the stove for 6 minutes. Once the pieces have softened a bit, arrange them in a large glass baking dish that can hold all the cauliflower and sauce.

Break up the tofu into chunks and add them to a blender or food processor, along with the nutritional yeast, garlic, olive oil, miso, vinegar, vegetable broth, and cornflour. Drain the cashews and add the softened cashews to the blender as well. Blend it all together until it’s very smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower. Bake at 425F for 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the vegetable tops are golden. Cool for 5 minutes and serve your cauliflower alfredo warm, on its own or over pasta.

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Inspiration

I saw a sign in a community garden today in hand-painted lettering that said:

Your mind is a garden

Your thoughts are the seeds

You can grow flowers

Or you can grow weeds

We can choose to water the seeds of positive emotions and not water the seeds of negative emotions. Where we put our attention is where we end up living emotionally.

Hopefully this waters a seed of hope and joy in you today!