The ultimate frisbee season is over! Regionals was really awesome and even though we didn’t finish how we wanted to, it was an incredible experience and I had a ton of fun. At the end of an ultimate frisbee game, we do these things called spirit circles where we all stand in a circle and reflect on the game and sometimes, teams gives little awards to the player they think was the “MVP” of the other team for the game. Well at regionals, I won my first spirit award, which I was super excited about.
The award was a can of beer! Here is me drinking my spirit beer (after the games were over of course)!
I’m sad frisbee is over mainly because I’m going to miss seeing my teammates all the time, and also because I really enjoyed playing. However, it was a huge time commitment, so I’m excited to have more time to work on this blog and my videos! Speaking of having more time, I’m thrilled to share that I’m going to start teaching classes at Savory Spice in Brookside very soon! More details to come in my next post so keep your eyes peeled.
Alright, who’s excited for fall? I, for one, am loving this cooler weather and the incredible fall produce – apples, and pumpkins and squash and alllll the cozy things. Enter this casserole. This is like those delicious creamy, cheesy casseroles your mom used to make (at least my mom used to), but without the butter and cheese and cream and all that. It’s super rich, creamy and delicious, AND it’s good for you! But how do you make it creamy? For the trillionth time, CASHEWS ARE MAGIC.
The cauliflower and chickpeas give it some texture, the magic cauliflower-cashew alfredo sauce makes it ultra rich and creamy, and the almond topping gives it an oh-so-satisfying crunch. It’s delicious on it’s own, but we enjoyed eating it with salsa picosa and hot sauce! If you’re craving some comfort food, make this now!
This casserole is comfort food that you can feel good about! It's ultra rich and creamy, vegan, gluten-free and packed with veggies and plant-based protein!
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
- 1 + 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups cashews*
- Heaping 1/2 cup (5 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked)
- 1 lb zucchini, shredded
- 10 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 1 14.5-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- optional - hot sauce and chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 F, then put the cauliflower florets in a pot with 1 cup of water, cover and heat on stove at medium-high heat. Let cook for 8 minutes, then test a piece of cauliflower for doneness. It should be soft but not mushy.
- 2. Put half of cooked cauliflower in a blender along with 2 cups of water, the cashews, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, apple cider vinegar and garlic, then blend until smooth.
- 3. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the cauliflower, the cooked quinoa, zucchini, spinach, chickpeas, and all of the sauce. Mix until fully combined.
- 4. Oil a 9x13 cake pan and add the cauliflower-quinoa mixture, using a spatula to spread it out evenly. Then bake it for 30 minutes.
- 5. Remove casserole from oven, sprinkle sliced almonds over the top evenly, and bake for 10 more minutes. Then, remove from oven, let sit for 15 minutes and serve with hot sauce if desired!
Notes
*If you don't have a high-powered blender, make sure to soak the cashews overnight and then drain them. If you forget to soak them, you can do a quick soak by pouring boiling water over the cashews and letting them sit for 15 minutes or so. It won't be quite as creamy as an overnight soak though.
I made this for the first time today and thought it was missing something. Can’t put my finger on it but it was still good. I will probably add cut sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts to the quinoa mixture next time.
by Kristen February 2, 2019 at 09 : 02I made this for the first time today and thought it was missing something. Can’t put my finger on it but it was still good. I will probably add cut sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts to the quinoa mixture next time.
by Kristen February 2, 2019 at 09 : 02I’ve made this casserole several times since finding it here. Thank you so much for sharing! It’s fantastic and each time I’m amazed that there is nothing “bad” in it. Totally healthy and a good fit for everyone!
by Angela October 10, 2018 at 02 : 45Wow! I can’t believe I’m just now seeing this – thank you so much for sharing! Eeeek this makes me so happy!!! So glad you and your family enjoyed this! 💕
by Taylor January 1, 2019 at 12 : 22