CREAMY CRIMINI MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI WITH ROASTED PAPRIKA CAULIFLOWER

Hello Everyone! I hope you've been enjoying the New Year. 

I've been "growing" substantially in the past couple weeks.

I've decided to make some minor positive changes in my life and to stick to them and to work on them for the rest of the year. Those changes are: to wake up pre-dawn and meditate and have some alone time before the day begins, and to try to be compassionate in all situations.

I have been reminded by the higher power that I am not in control of my life. Sure I may have goals and dreams and love to work towards them, but life has that way of throwing you off track and you need to deal with it. It was hard when I was younger, getting used to the fact that the things I wanted weren't necessarily things that were going to happen. Now I just give it the ol' 'Everything happens for a reason and change my thought process' (something parents need to do often).

I'm extremely proud that I have stuck with my goals the previous years, no alcohol, minimal to no refined sugar, dairy and gluten. I used to love going to our local little cafe and get a veggie sandwich but I feel as though my life is evolving for the better and I am finally happy to say I am moving on veggie sandwich!

My health book will be in town soon! I am so over the moon about people reading my book and hopefully being inspired to make a few healthy changes in their lives. It's being printed as I write this. I am also a bit nervous about "exposing" myself to the world. It really is a different lifestyle to what most people live but I believe it is something worth sharing because I feel as though I have found happiness and joy (which I had lost in my 20's and was worried I would never get them back). I now believe that life doesn't need to deteriorate as you become older with age, you will always keep growing older but you become wiser and the healthier you are your body will start to heal and become young again. I feel as though at times, because of my high energy levels, that I feel as though I have been ageing backwards. 29!? No way. I feel 23!

So, this pasta has been the staple comfort food over the holidays. It's so easy to prepare and even the kids love it. It is made without the use of dairy, refined sugar or gluten. Seth and I both despised mushrooms but now love them. Please note to never eat mushrooms raw! They have properties that must be killed off during the cooking process or else they are a bit toxic to the body (when raw).

I hope you all get the chance to share this pasta dish with the people you love. Invite friends and family over and enjoy their company. Life is too short to not fill your home with love as often as possible!

Bless this meal and bless your life!

CREAMY CRIMINI MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI WITH ROASTED PAPRIKA CAULIFLOWER

Serves 3

Prepare ahead - Soak 1/2 cup of raw cashews, covered in filtered water, for 4 hours

• 1 pk. brown rice spaghetti noodles

• 10 cauliflower pieces, as big or small as you like
• 3 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. paprika 

Sauce

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 medium red onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups of mushroom broth, homemade or store bought
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos or Tamari (soy sauce alternative)
• 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 7 crimini mushrooms, sliced, diced or halved
• 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning
• 2 tsp. potato starch

Garnish

• celtic sea salt, ground

1. Soak cashews for 4 hours. Rinse.

2. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). In a large pan add 4 Tbsp. filtered water. Add minced garlic and diced onion. Turn on to medium/low heat. Cover cook garlic and onion until soft, stirring often.

3. Once garlic and onion are cooked add them to a high speed blender (I use my nutritbullet) along with the soaked cashews, 1 cup mushroom broth, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. I like to blend it 3 times – for 1 minute each time, to make sure it is extra creamy.

4. Cauliflower - Melt coconut oil in a medium pan over low heat. Once melted add cauliflower pieces. Coat pieces in oil. Add cauliflower to a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle on paprika. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack. 

5. In the large pan add 1/2 cup mushroom broth and cut mushrooms and fry on medium/low heat until soft, 8-10 minutes. Cover in Mrs. Dash seasoning, cover and turn off heat.

6. Pour in half of the blended cashew mixture and bring heat to medium. Add 2 tsp. potato starch to the second half of your cashew mixture in the blender and stir with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Once your gravy in the pan is hot pour in the second half and constantly whisk until it thickens. Turn the heat off right away once you notice it thicken and continue to stir until it cools (if sauce is too thick add more mushroom broth – 1 tsp. at a time). Take off heat and cover.

7. Fill a medium pot with filtered water 3/4 full. Bring it to a boil. Add brown rice spaghetti noodles. Leave on to boil under noodles bend and sink in to the pot. Turn head down to low and set the timer for 9 minutes. Stir noodles every 3 minutes. Leave uncovered. Once the timer goes off take out a noodle, blow and bite. If too starchy add 2 more minutes to the timer. If noodle is soft - they are done. Noodle should be slightly firm in the centre because the noodles will continue to cook, even after draining. Drain out hot water and rinse the pasta in cold water, drain again. Add pasta to the large pan with the mushroom sauce. Gently toss. Serve pasta on to plates and garnish with celtic sea salt.

We also garnish each meal with nutritional yeast, chia seeds, and hemp hearts.

Store left overs in an air tight container in the fridge. Will last up to 1 week. Reheat in a pan on the stove on medium/low heat – may need to add 1 tbsp. mushroom broth.

* This mushroom sauce is also great on boiled or baked potatoes, brown rice or any brown rice pasta. Sprinkle on a bit of ground celtic sea salt and serve.