We will get back to ‘F’ shortly, but I loved this so much that I had to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming.  I was inspired by this recipe to make a creamy pumpkin sauce, but wasn’t sure what to put it over since I’m doing a low-carb experiment for someone.  I mulled it over for a few days, and what I came up with was… perfect.  I stopped several times while eating this to wonder, “Is this really vegan?  Is it really low-carb?  I feel so… decadent.  …this can’t possibly be healthy.” But yet… it is.  Tastes like Alfredo sauce, with this extra pumpkin twist, and feels like eating a big indulgent bowl of pasta… but instead you’re just getting healthy veggies!

The pumpkin lends it a cheezy look, but that orange is all natural!

Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce with Chik’n and Mushrooms

1 T olive oil

1 yellow onion

8 oz Beyond Meat chik’n

2 C mushrooms, sliced (any type will do, but I recommend something particularly flavorful, like oyster, as used here)

1 head cauliflower

4 C spinach

salt & pepper

1 batch Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce (There’s a step in the recipe for when to prepare this. :) )

1. Add olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium heat.  Chop onion and add to pan to sauté.  Stir often and do not let onions burn.

2. Chop mushrooms and add to sauté pan.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Continue to stir often to keep from burning.  Add small amounts of water as needed to deglaze pan and keep onions and mushrooms from sticking.  (I did this quite often throughout the cooking process, so don’t be afraid to do so as well.)

3. Chop Beyond Meat into bite-size pieces and stir into sauté pan.

4. While onions, mushrooms, and chik’n are sautéing, prepare the sauce as written up here.

(Don’t forget to continue to stir your mushroom mixture and deglaze as necessary.)

5. While the sauce is warming, prepare cauli-rice to serve everything else over:

Remove core, and save to cut up later into great crunchy sticks to dip into your favorite dip.

Add florets to a food processor, and pulse until broken up into a grain-size texture.

Microwave 2-3 minutes to soften.

6. Rip spinach into smaller pieces (or chop), and mix into the chik’n and mushroom mixture.  Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes, just enough to wilt the spinach.

7. Serve!  Put cauli-rice into the bottom of a bowl, as you would rice, quinoa, or anything else you might serve things over.  :)  Layer on the chik’n and mushroom mixture.  Pour sauce over top.  Mix together and enjoy!!