Creamy sauce over pasta or vegetables is right up there with most peoples’ favourite comfort foods. But how healthy is this dairy-rich treat?
Not only is dairy-based cream sauce loaded with calories, it is also rich in casein, an animal protein linked strongly with an increased risk of cancer. Yikes! Fortunately, there’s an alternative – a dairy-free cream sauce that can actually lower your risk of developing all types of cancers.
Cauliflower is the key – that white vegetable that is actually one of your best sources indole-3-carbinol, a nutrient which stimulates cellular detoxification. This nutrient can also prevent oestrogen dominance, making cauliflower one of the top food choices for breast cancer prevention.
As hearty and rich as this creamy sauce is, it won’t leave you feeling heavy like dairy-based cream sauces will. It’s great as a main course over pasta, or a side dish over vegetables; this recipe calls for serving it over grilled zucchini.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2 zucchini
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 6 cups of water
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste) 1 tablespoon chopped save
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Chop up the cauliflower while you boil the water in a large pot. Add the cauliflower to the water and boil until the cauliflower is soft, approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
- Strain the cauliflower and put it in a food processor or blender. Set some of the boiled water aside; you may need to use it to change the consistency of the sauce. While the cauliflower cools, crush and roughly chop the garlic.
- Saute the garlic over medium heat in one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, until the garlic is lightly browned – around 5 minutes.
- Set the pan aside and add the salt, pepper, sage, coconut milk and sauteed garlic to the cauliflower in the food processor or blender. Blend the mixture until it is smooth; it should have a creamy consistency. If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of the cauliflower water to the mixture and blend it again. Repeat this process until you reach the desired consistency.
5. Chop your zucchini into thin slices – or, if you have a spiralizer, use that to make zucchini noodles from the vegetable. Saute the zucchini lightly in the remaining extra virgin olive oil, with a pinch of salt.
6. Remove the zucchini from heat and serve the cauliflower sauce over the sauteed vegetable. Enjoy this as a main course or side dish – it’s creamy, filling, and could even help prevent cancer.
