Vegan alfredo to (semi) satisfy an Italian

Today hasn't been so different from yesterday. 

I woke up, couldn't open my coconut oil and therefore couldn't oil pull, and felt a bit out of sorts. I've been trying the jar all day and still can't get it. Anyway, I had my water and lemon and then my coffee and putzed around online for a bit. I decided to clean out all of (which ended up being most of) my living room/dining room drawers/cabinets. It took all day, with some pauses to read (Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn) and eat (leftover lentil-quinoa tacos from yesterday), but I got a lot of organizing done. 

Around 3:30, the doldrums really set in. I figured that I might as well cook dinner, which would occupy my time for a while. I decided to make this Simple Veganista alfredo recipe that I've had my eye on for a while.

To start, I boiled a large pot of water and added a head of cauliflower, cut into florets. I left it on the stove for 20 minutes, which gave me plenty of time to do everything else. 

First, I diced and cooked a whole shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil. I let it cook for about 3 minutes, at which point the pieces were mostly brown. 

Then, to get ready to make the "alfredo" sauce, I opened and drained a can of cannellini beans (and got to use my new Pampered Chef can strainer, which is awesome! no more stinky, greasy bean sludge on my hands!). 

I emptied the can into my Ninja, along with a cup of unsweetened almond milk, the shallots, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. When the cauliflower was done, I drained it and added that, too. 

I blended that until it was smooth and, after a taste test, added about 3 cloves of garlic (through the garlic press), black pepper, and pink salt. I blended again. That'll do.

I put another tablespoon of olive oil into the pan I used to cook the shallot. Into the pan went a small head of broccoli, cut into small florets; 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (the kind that comes in the pouch, julienned); 2 crushed cloves of garlic (next time, more!); and a few leaves of kale, ripped into small pieces. I cooked this for about 5 minutes.

Of course, all the while, I'm making whole grain penne. When that was done and drained, I put it back in the pot, tossed in the vegetables, and then poured in the sauce. 

To continue with the multitasking, I made a salad with Organicgirl baby greens,

reduced sugar Craisins, honey toasted almonds (pecans?) (I know that honey isn't vegan; just you wait), and...a little bit of feta cheese. It was in my fridge. It was calling. Besides, I was perusing Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet, today and even she - Alicia Silverstone! - says she'll eat a piece of cheese or sushi every now and then without beating herself up. Well, once I had the feta on there, I needed kalamata olives, regardless of how gross that may be with cranberries. This got a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

I made a "fiscal cleanse" garlic bread with what I had on hand...a Stop & Shop hamburger roll (stop your judging right now!!!), a spritz of Smart Balance spray (mmmm chemicals...next time, olive oil!), a sprinkle of pink salt, a clove of garlic through the garlic press, and a pinch of oregano.  This went in the toaster oven on dark.

The "alfredo" still looked a tad suspect, and since I had already sprinkled some feta onto my salad, I sifted a liiiiittle bit of fresh shaved Parmesan on top of the pasta and mixed it up. I swear that when I say "liiiiittle," I mean it. I don't even like Parmesan cheese. I realize that it's not the same thing - but to me it is - but I made up a song about Locatelli pecorino romano cheese when I was a little kid (a staple on our dinner table) - I made it up in my head and never sang it out loud, but I think of it when I smell stinky cheese all the same.

When paired with a glass of Three Buck Chuck (in my most prized wine glass, no less), it made for a pretty fancy meal to eat in front of a computer screen playing this week's compilation of Vine videos. 

I already told you about the garlic bread. The salad, believe it or not, was really, really good. I willingly had two helpings! And now for my thoughts on the sauce:

It needs something. Somethings. I did sprinkle on some black pepper and garlic powder, but next time I might try:

• White whine (I spelled it that way by accident, and so it will stay)
• Vegan cream cheese (the sauce was creamy like...hummus creamy, not cream sauce creamy)
• More nutritional yeast (the sauce could use a little more cheesiness...perhaps cashews would work, too?)
• Roasted garlic (instead of raw) / black pepper
• More sun dried tomatoes (in the veggies)

Remember, I have a (half) Italian mother and I live in New Jersey. We

are

serious

about

our

Italian

food!

I'm just exploiting my ethnicity; I'm not really super Italian. But obviously, my mom cooks Italian food better than anyone else I've ever encountered (besides my Grandpop, her dad) and even if she didn't, going to Olive Garden or Pizza Hut in New Jersey is like...going to Taco Bell in SoCal. UNO in Chicago. Mrs. T's pierogies in Pittsburgh. Popeye's in Louisiana. You catch my drift?

So. Knowing that this sauce was vegan(ish) / healthy / high protein / filling, I'd say it was pretty good and worth making again. I will tweak the recipe, though. 

Can I go to bed now?