Fake Out Alfredo Rice and Veggies

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  Ours was filled with relaxing time, picking up an on sale patio set at Home Depot and a neighborhood block party.

We also enjoyed Alfredo Rice and Veggies.  Now I know you are thinking - say what?!? you can't have alfredo sauce if you are dairy free.  Oh yes, yes you can.  The secret is to use cauliflower to make the sauce.  It turned out delicious!  Smooth and creamy, you'd hardly know this wasn't the stuff from the can.  I would definitely make this sauce again and use it over noodles - or just eat it alone!

To start I made 2 cups of minute brown rice according to the directions on the box.  While the rice was doin' it's thing, I started on the cauliflower sauce.  For the sauce I brought 4 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and added one head of cut up cauliflower.  I let that boil together for 10 minutes until the cauliflower was nice and soft.

Here's where I had a little snap-fu.  I had my food processor all set up to blend the cauliflower but when I pressed start - it wouldn't work.  After asking Jim to help fix it, neither one of us could, so we switched to the Vitamix blender and will have to search for a new food processor.  I'm pretty sure that Viti and my husband have a special relationship.  Best blender hands down though.  While they are expensive, it's never broken on us, survived 3 moves, and heated up soup with it's powerful motor.  Almost as powerful as some small lawn mowers I think.  Crazy!

Anyway .... put your cooked cauliflower (not the juice) into something that blends and puree it up!  You can add extra vegetable broth (or milk) if it needs some more juice.  While this is yummy - we are going to make it even better!

In a large sauce pan melt 2 tbsp vegan butter.  Then add 2-3 gloves chopped garlic.  Let the garlic get nice and flavorful (about 3-5 minutes).  Then add the rice and sauce.

To incorporate some veggies I know my daughter needs, I steamed some carrots and broccoli and stirred those into the rice and sauce mixture.  Season with salt and pepper and you are set!

I think you can tell by the remnants on her plate - this was a success!

Have a great week!

Fake Out Alfredo Rice and Veggies
modified from:  www.pinchofyum.com


1 head cauliflower chopped into pieces
4 cups veggie broth
2 cups brown rice
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 bag frozen broccoli
~10 baby carrots diced

1.  Make rice according to package directions.
2.  Bring vegetable broth to a boil.
3.  Chop cauliflower and add to boiling vegetable broth.  Let simmer for 10 minutes.
4.  Transfer cauliflower to blender and mix until smooth.
5.  Melt butter in large saucepan and saute garlic for 3-5 minutes.
6.  Steam broccoli and carrots in the microwave following package directions.
7.  To butter mixture, add rice, cauliflower sauce and steamed vegetables.


Enjoy!