Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is a creamy dairy-free, gluten-free healthier version as compared with the original recipe. 

If you are looking for a dairy-free version of the traditional alfredo sauce then look no further! Made with whole food ingredients that most will have on hand. All you need is a strong blender that will create this creamy velvety sauce texture, that’s it! 

I love mixing my sauce with pasta noodles, chicken, veggies, or use as pizza sauce! 

If you are looking for a more cheesier vegan or dairy-free sauce, check out my favorite spicy vegan cheese sauce recipe.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is a creamy dairy-free, gluten-free healthier version as compared with the original recipe. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups (packed) boiled cauliflower

• ½ cup plant based milk

• ½ cup chicken or veggie stock

• ½ cup cashews (soaked and drained)

• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• ½ white onion

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp grass fed or vegan butter

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for about 8-15 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Reserve 1 cup of boiling water. 

2. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic and diced onions until soft and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. 

3. Drain the cauliflower and transfer to a blender. Add the sautéed garlic and onions, milk, stock, cashews, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. If the sauce looks too thick or dry, slowly add the reserved boiling water. Season with more salt and pepper for desired taste. 

4. Serve with cooked pasta and enjoy! 

Notes

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Will last 4-5 days in the fridge. 

• Freezer friendly! Since there is no dairy in the mixture, you can freeze the alfredo sauce once it’s cooled down. 

• Use the sauce with pasta, chicken, vegetables, or even as a pizza sauce!

Red Curry Sauce

Red Curry Sauce - A tried and true healthier version of the traditional red curry sauce. Less than 10-ingredients, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, and paleo-friendly.

Y'all. This sauce is what dreams are made of! As an obsessive curry lover, I’m always on the prowl for a good curry recipe; whether it be from a restaurant or from a blog. Well, low behold, I found the perfect red curry sauce at this local Asian restaurant that used to be but only a block away from me! Needless to say, curry ran through my veins in those four years of living in that area!

So now that I am many...many blocks away from that restaurant, it was only a matter of time that I started to recreate the sauce. Long story short, we have arrived! 

Luckily for you, this is a much healthier version but tastes just as creamy, full-bodied curry sauce that you ever laid your taste buds on! For this recipe, I used many condiments that I already had in my pantry, as I am sure you have them in yours as well. 

And don’t fret if you don’t have them, I listed all the products I used for this sauce in the recipe notes below.

One condiment that transforms this umami flavor bomb sauce is using miso paste. Now, I understand that soybeans are not considered “paleo”, but most paleo eaters will choose to add this into their dishes because of the way it’s prepared. 

Miso is the product of fermented soybeans, water, fermented grains (called koji), and salt. Koji, the final product of fermented rice, barley, or soy, requires the use of a fungus called Aspergillus oryzae, which activates the fermentation process. Asian cooking often requires a number of fermented products like miso, which are all fermented with koji. So that umami flavor you get when eating at an Asian restaurant will most likely have miso in it! If you would like more health facts on miso paste from a paleo perspective, here’s the link.  

One thing I will note is that I created this recipe for a sponsored post for Vital Proteins. I used them for two reasons. One is that it’s a fun and creative way to incorporate collagen peptides into your meals and two, it is used as a thickening agent. 

If you don’t mind having a more liquid sauce then it’s fine without using collagen peptides. But if you are a pro in the kitchen, feel free to experiment using other thickening agents like flour or arrowroot starch. I will report back if this work but for now, collagen powder is the way to go!

Feel free to use this sauce on just about anything and everything! Next week, I will be posting a chicken curry nacho recipe but in the meantime, here are some ways you can use red curry sauce: on eggs, chicken, rice, veggies, dipping sauce, condiment, pasta, marinade/sauce for a protein source, or just straight out of the bowl - possibilities are endless!

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Red Curry Sauce - A tried and true healthier version of the traditional red curry sauce. Less than 10-ingredients, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, and paleo-friendly.

Ingredients

• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 

• 2 Tbsp red curry paste

• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 Tbsp curry powder

• 2 scoops collagen peptides (optional but helps to thicken sauce)

• 2 tsp (heaping) organic white miso paste

• 1 Tbsp liquid aminos

• 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

• 1 tsp pure maple syrup

• Juice of ½ lime

Directions

1. Prepare the curry sauce by adding all ingredients into a blender or nutribullet and blend until the mixture is in a sauce form. *If you do not have a blender, you can sub fresh ginger for ginger powder so that the sauce is smooth and consistent in texture. 

2. At this point, taste the sauce and see if it needs more umami (miso paste/liquid aminos), cheesy (nutritional yeast), bitter (lime juice), spice (curry paste/powder), or salt.

3. Pour sauce into a small saucepan and heat on medium heat. Stir sauce until the sauce is about to boil and turn the heat off. Make sure you are constantly stirring so as to not burn the sauce. 

4. As the sauce cools down, it will thicken. Collagen helps to thicken the sauce so if you are adding more collagen, make sure the sauce is hot enough for the collagen to blend well so that you don’t get clumps! 

5. If you are making a meal like chicken curry with rice and vegetables, heat the sauce into the cooking veggies if using a skillet to do this. If not, serve over anything and everything!

6. Store in an airtight container for at least two weeks in the refrigerator. 

Notes: 

Products that were used in the curry sauce: coconut milk, curry paste, collagen peptides, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, curry powder, maple syrup, liquid aminos. 

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits - Classic southern dish but with a healthy twist! Packed with flavor and seasonal southern ingredients all while staying true to its roots. 

It’s so easy to forget where we come from. To get lost in our own little world. But sometimes we need to go backward before we can move forward. 

I watched an episode of Chef’s Table, Mashama Bailey - Owner of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia, and I came back to my senses. I remembered where I came from. My Roots. I remembered the sound of fried chicken crackling in a cast-iron skillet. The egregious smell of chitlins cooking in a large black pot outside on a hot summer day. The sweet taste of muscadines after picking them straight off the vine. 

And most of these memories were created by the Black American women who helped raise and shaped me into the person I am today. They are the reason why soul cooking is a thread in my DNA and they inspire the recipes that I create. 

Now for this recipe, grits are the star of this dish. And even though this woman didn’t raise me, she influences the way that I cook today. Edna Lewis. As a renowned chef, author, and teacher, she inspired generations of Southern cooks to honor their own roots. 

Most importantly, she taught me how to make grits. And since this is a health food blog and ...that I and dairy do not get along, I have healthified the recipe but stayed true to her technique. 

Southern soul food is also about cooking with seasonal vegetables. Well, I can't think of a better vegetable to highlight in this recipe, other than okra. Pairing its roots to a creole inspired "gumbo" sauce, we are highlighting all walks of southern soul food! 

And of course, we can't forget about the bacon! 

The last nostalgic thing I will say is that this was my first official meal in my new place. I wanted to Christen the place with a meal that paid an ode to my southern roots and the amazing women that got me to where I am today.

Picture of the meal - in my new apartment. It’s only right to be drinking dry white wine from the meal in a cup. I hope this nourishing comfort meal sparks something inside of you to either find the appreciation of soul food like I have or to find it in your own roots.

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Shrimp and Grits - Classic southern dish but with a healthy twist! Packed with flavor and seasonal southern ingredients all while staying true to its roots.

Ingredients

Grits

• 2 cups of water

• 2 cups plant-based unsweetened milk

• 1 cup instant grits

• 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter

Shrimp 

• 1 lb medium-large raw shrimp peeled, de-veined, tail-on

• 1 tsp cajun seasoning

• ½ lemon

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce 

• 1 tbsp gluten-free flour

• 1 tsp low-sodium worcheshire sauce

• ½ medium onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 fennel bulb, white part thinly sliced

• ½ cup chicken or seafood broth/stock

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter

• Salt, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes to taste

Add ons

• 6 oz whole okra

• 1 tbsp grass-fed butter

• 8 slices cooked bacon

Garnish: Fennel fronds 

Instructions

1. To prepare the grits: Bring 2 cups of water and milk in a medium saucepan until just simmering. Stir grits into the simmering water and milk. Cook, while stirring often, until the grits are tender to the bite and have thickened to the consistency of oatmeal. As the grits thicken, stir them more often to keep them from sticking and scorching. Season grits generously with salt and stir in the butter. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, until serving. Serve hot. 

2. To cook the shrimp, toss them with the Cajun seasoning. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the shrimp. Saute until opaque (about 2 min) and remove from skillet. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon and set aside. 

3. Add the flour to drippings in the skillet and whisk well. Add the onion, jalapeno, and fennel; saute about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Add the worcheshire, wine, and butter.  Taste for seasoning, and add salt if you like. I love it spicy so I add red pepper flakes and hot sauce to mine. 

4. To pan-fry okra: Cut okra in half; long wise or chopped. Heat a pad of butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add okra. Cook for about 5 minutes or until each side is brown and crispy. 

5. Serve immediately over the warm grits. Add slices of cooked bacon and pan-fried okra. Garnish with fennel fronds for color and enjoy! 

Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Lasagna Soup

Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Lasagna Soup - Made with less than 10 ingredients - sure to be a dinner staple during the wintertime. 

Ever since I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna soup ten years ago, I never got back to the normal way of making lasagna. When you find an easier, more efficient way of making something, why turn back? Amiright!? 

So to switch up the classic take on lasagna soup, I made it winter-inspired using butternut squash, kale, and white beans. For this recipe, I used spicy sausage but if you are plant-based, you can simply switch out for vegan sausage or an extra can of white beans. 

This lasagna soup is made with less than 10 ingredients, using one pot, and finished in under 30 minutes! So for my busy mom’s out there, this one's for you! 

Most of you know, I am a huge fan of Banza pasta! So to make this lasagna soup gluten-free, I used their brand spanking new line of lasagna noodles! With nearly two times the protein, three times the fiber, and nearly 30% fewer net carbs - it’s crazy how you can’t even tell the difference from traditional lasagna noodles!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Lasagna Soup - Made with less than 10 ingredients - sure to be a dinner staple during the wintertime. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 container lasagna noodles (uncooked)

• 1 can 28oz crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 container (4 cups low-sodium chicken stock) or veggie stock

• 1 can white beans (rinsed and drained)

• 1 container (16oz) spicy sausage or vegan sausage/extra can of beans

• 2 cups fresh kale (destemmed)

• 1 white onion (diced)

• 4 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 butternut squash (about 1 ½ cups) cubed

• Dash or 3 of red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

Directions: 

1. Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown (about 5-8 minutes). Place sausage on a paper towel covered plate to absorb excess grease. 

2. While the pot has oil and grease from the sausage, add the butternut squash, and cook, turning occasionally, until just beginning to caramelize and soften (about 5 minutes). Add the onion and garlic to the pot, and cook until soft and translucent. 

3. Add the sausage back to the pot and add tomatoes, chicken stock, seasonings, and lasagna noodles (may have to break noodles into thirds to fit into the pot. If you think you need more liquid, add about 1-2 cups of stock or water. 

4. Cover, and bring the stock just to a boil, then turn the heat down to low-medium. Let simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes. Season with additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. 

5. Add white beans and torn kale leaves, and continue to simmer until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes. Serve warm with crusty bread and enjoy! Great to garnish with fresh basil and additional red pepper flakes too.  Makes about 4 servings. 

Rosemary & Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

Rosemary & Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs - These tender wine-braised short ribs will soon be your go-to for healthy comfort food. Ribs braised in a dutch oven and served over brown butter sage mashed sweet potatoes - can’t beat it!

‘Tis the season for comfort food, chaotic schedules, and holiday parties. What better dish to appease all three things than a staple braised short rib recipe, amiright?! That’s why I created a dish that requires one pot, very few ingredients (and most you will have on hand), and high-quality meat that is cooked in less time than most short rib recipes. 

In my opinion, braising short ribs is the way to go if you want to develop the best flavor!

The Art of Braising

1. SALT - Salt your meat generously on all four sides and let sit overnight or salt at least 30 min to 3 hours in the fridge. The longer the better! 

2. BROWN - Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat using quality oil. Sear meat on all four sides until you get a nice browning. More space between meat gets it brown(er). 

3. BUILD - Layer ingredients in the pan. I.e. use deglazing liquid from browned meat plus water/stock, add the meat back in, aromatics, and herbs. 

I paired these short ribs with my favorite brown butter sage mashed sweet potatoes but you can use any side dish you like! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Rosemary & Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs - These tender wine-braised short ribs will soon be your go-to for healthy comfort food. Ribs braised in a dutch oven and served over brown butter sage mashed sweet potatoes - can’t beat it!

Ingredients

• 3.5 lbs bone-in short ribs (use 3 lbs if using boneless beef short ribs)

• 1 can (28 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 1 large white onion (sliced)

• 4 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 cups organic low-sodium beef broth

• 2 cups red wine (cabernet sauvignon)

• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tbsp low-sodium Worcestershire sauce

• 1 Tbsp light brown sugar

• 4-6 fresh rosemary sprigs

• S&P to season to taste

Directions

1. Generously season your meat on all four sides with salt and pepper and let sit overnight or for at least 30 minutes to 3 hours in the fridge. The longer the better. 

2. Heat oil in dutch oven or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. 

3. Add short ribs to hot oil and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Try not to move the short ribs once you put them down and make sure they have space between the meat. 

4. Remove the short ribs from dutch oven/skillet and set aside. They won't be fully cooked yet, and that’s okay!

5. Return dutch oven to stovetop and lower temperature to medium heat. Add sliced onions and minced garlic. If the pan looks too dry, add another splash of olive oil. Saute until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. 

6. Add the broth and wine to deglaze the dutch oven. Make sure to scrape down any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 

7. Add the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sauce, brown sugar, rosemary sprigs, and S&P) along with the short ribs and mix until combined. Once the mixture is boiling, bring the heat down to low medium and cover the dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. 

8. Cook on stovetop for 2 hours - 2 hours and 30 minutes or until short ribs easily pull apart with tongs/ fork or the meat is falling off the bone. 

9. Serve short ribs with reserved leftover broth over mashed potatoes or over brown butter sage mashed sweet potatoes. 

10. Garnish with fresh rosemary and pomegranate arils for a festive look!

Notes

• No dutch oven? That’s okay! The crockpot will do the trick. Just simply brown short ribs in a skillet and then transfer all ingredients along with short ribs in crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

• If you do not wish to use wine or have it on hand, you can sub out the 2 cups of wine with more beef broth or use cranberry/cherry juice! The flavors will be different but still very tasty.