I’ve been trying to come up with ways to get more vegetables into the kids diet and my son absolutely loves Alfredo Sauce so I thought I’d create a dairy free version with cauliflower using Nutritional Yeast for the cheesy flavor!

This one was luckily a great hit with both of my kids ages 2 and 4. I hope you enjoy it too!

What is Nutritional Yeast? Nutritional yeast is a vegetarian dietary supplement with a pleasantly cheesy flavor. It is rich in vitamin B-12, and provides 8 grams of protein per serving. It is made from a specially selected strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to “deactivate” it. Because it’s inactive, it doesn’t froth or grow like baking yeast does so cannot be used as a substitute for ‘traditional yeast’ in baking. You can use nutritional yeast in so many ways but here are a few of our all-time favorites!

  • Mix a couple tablespoons into homemade hummus for a cheesy twist
  • Sprinkle it over homemade chili
  • Sprinkle it over half an avocado with salt and pepper
  • Add it to a tofu scramble
  • Mix it with steamed brussel sprouts for cheesy flavor
  • Sprinkle it over popcorn with a bit of coconut oil
  • Make a fabulous cauliflower Alfredo sauce as I have done in this weeks recipe below!

Dairy Free Cauliflower Alfredo sauce with Pan Seared Chicken Breast

Serves 2-3

For the Sauce

· 2 cloves Garlic, whole

· 12 ounces cauliflower florets (about 3 cups)

· 3 cups water / stock of choice

· 1/2 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt, or more to taste

· black pepper to taste

· 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

For the chicken

· 3 medium chicken breasts (100grams each)

· 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

· 1/2 teaspoon dried chives

· 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

· 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 packet Quinoa Penne pasta, Or gluten free pasta of choice

Directions

1. Add the water / stock to a large cooking pot, along with the cauliflower and garlic, and bring the water to a boil. (The water should be covering the cauliflower.) Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot to cook until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Cook the pasta in a large pasta pot of boiling water for about 8-10 mins as per the instructions.

3. While the cauliflower and pasta are cooking, add your clean chicken breasts to a chopping board and make incisions down the middle to open up the breast. (Do not cut through)

4. Take some cling film to cover the chicken and with a meat tenderizer pound until a little thinner (approx 1.5 inches think) so that the chicken breast will cook very easily.

5. In a bowl, add your salts and spices using your measuring spoons and mix together. Take a teaspoon and spoon the mixture onto the chicken breasts. (This can also be done beforehand, allowing 1 hour to marinate in the fridge – time permitting)

6. In a non-stick pan on high heat add another tablespoon of oil (optional) and add your chicken to cook and brown for approx. 6-8mins each side. (Put aside)

7. When the cauliflower is cooked through, transfer over to the food processor spooning the cauliflower and garlic into to the bowl, careful not to add to much water.

8. Add the nutritional yeast and pulse until creamy. Remove the lid and add liquid from the pot if it’s too thick, add the salt and pepper. Keep pulsing until nice and creamy.

9. Transfer the pasta and the sauce into a large mixing bowl and mix with a heat resistant spatula until the sauce is covering the pasta.

10. Slice chicken breast with a sharp knife and add over the pasta. Serve immediately alongside your favorite side salad.

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