Vegan-Gluten Free Alfredo 

The Lent season is upon us and we are all in for the Daniel Fast for a full 40 days. It’s always so exciting to see friends, family and my Facebook feed getting creative with the Daniel Fast each year. And in honor of so many people around me participating in the Daniel Fast at some point throughout the year, I’ve decided to get creative on the blog and have a complete section dedicated to the Daniel Fast.

Someone raised a comment in a Facebook thread and said if the Daniel Fast is supposed to be about giving things up, aren’t we doing it wrong with out creative meals that look so savory and delicious? I took some of my reflection time to really think about that. I asked myself if I was defeating the purpose of the fast by getting creative in the kitchen so I don’t get bored with carrots, celery and green smoothies.

What I decided is that the creativity required to make meals that fall within the guidelines of the Daniel Fast takes quite a bit of thought and reflection. I constantly find myself checking the list twice to ensure I’m not violating the rules. So for 40 full days during the season of Lent (or 21 for those of you who do the fast in other seasons) you hold yourself to a certain eating standard where you train yourself to second guess your decisions all on account of being correct and doing it the right way. What if we applied this same train of thought to our behaviors and our attitudes? What if before we made any decision at all we thought about it do a second to ensure its correctness? What if we checked our list, our guidelines, our Bible to make sure it fit within the rules?

I decided that the habits I learn during Lent are habits I can implement in other areas of my life–that being creative isn’t pushing the limits of what’s required. Being creative is helping me to remember that it’s ok to enjoy life, but there are certain standards by which we are required to do that.

Now that my rant is over, here’s the recipe.

What you need:

• 1 box brown rice pasta
• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small box fresh chopped baby Bella mushrooms
• 1 bag fresh spinach
• 2 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano

What you do:

• Cook your pasta according to the box and set to the side
• Chop your cauliflower and blend until it becomes the consistency of rice
• Add in your almond milk and blend until smooth (it will still be a bit gritty but you will cook this down so not to worry)
• Add 2tbsp of olive oil to a saucepan and heat on medium
• Sauté the garlic for about a minute
• Add in the mushrooms and stir until they are fully coated in the olive oil
• Season the mushrooms with 1/2 tsp of seasoning salt and 1/2 tsp of lemon pepper
• Cook the mushrooms until the soften and darken (about 5 minutes)
• Pour in the “Alfredo sauce” and mix well
• Cook until the cauliflower gets a bit more smooth
• Add the remaining seasoning salt and herbs (taste your sauce and make sure it’s seasoned the way you like)
• Pour your sauce over your pasta in large pot and mix around
• Add in your spinach and cover
• Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is tender
• Enjoy 😋