Family, I had to share this fire recipe with you all to make for yourself and for the little ones as well. This recipe was definitely 100% approved by my 10-year-old daughter!
As we talked about, dairy during this season can be one of the biggest triggers for childhood illnesses, from sniffles and sore throats to ear infections. The gut is where 70% of the immune and lymphatic defense system lives, and dairy is extremely damaging to the gut — especially right now. So, this is a creamy Alfredo with no dairy, no junk, no jar, and all plants. Best part? It cost under $20, and it fed us for two to three days. Let's get into it.
Here’s everything I bought from Whole Foods:
Organic cashews, 24 oz bag: $9.99
Fresh organic spinach: $2.49
BioNature pasta: $3.50 per box (you only need one 12 oz box, but I bought two)
Note: BioNature pasta is made with fermented grains to support gut health!
One can of organic coconut milk: $2.49
One red onion (about $0.49), one green pepper (under $1), and two fresh lemons (under $3 total)
Nutritional yeast: $4–$6 depending on brand
Total? Still under $20. And again, this stretched multiple meals.
Now for the recipe. I soaked two cups of cashews in water overnight. The next day, I drained them and added them to a blender. I poured in one cup of coconut milk, a third cup of vegetable broth, and then added one to two teaspoons of each: black pepper, organic lemon pepper, a natural sea salt like Celtic or herb sea salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Then I added one full cup of nutritional yeast. I blended all of that until the sauce was beautifully creamy.
Before adding the sauce to the pasta, I sautéed spinach, red onions, and green peppers in a pan with avocado oil. Then I added the cooked pasta right into the pan. Pour in some of the Alfredo sauce and mix until you reach your desired level of creaminess. You won’t need the entire batch of sauce — I had enough left over for the next day, which is why this recipe can stretch up to two or three meals easily.
Once everything is combined, you can squeeze some lemon on top for brightness. My daughter loves a fresh squeeze of lemon on her meals, so we added that too. I served it with sliced cucumbers and a spring salad, and just like that, dinner was done.
No jar of fake plant Alfredo in sight. I was honestly tired of the “plant-based” Alfredo sauces in stores that are either filled with unnecessary additives or trying too hard to imitate dairy. This was a complete plant meal and truly delicious. It also takes under 30 minutes to make, start to finish!
Whether you’re plant-based or not, this is a meal your whole family can enjoy. If you try it, let me know. And if you post pictures, tag me @wholistichope on Instagram and Facebook. Have fun with this recipe, and let’s do our best to eat less dairy this season. Our children’s immune/defense systems will thank us later. 😉
