dairy free, of course!

This cream sauce is so versatile! I’ve served it with chickpeas over spiralled zucchini and carrots, as well as with brown rice pasta and free range roasted chicken. I’ve used it cold as a dip with raw veggies, and as a sauce for a baked casserole! The options are endless for this deliciously creamy and flavourful sauce and I can’t wait for you to try it! This recipe was inspired a few months ago when I was volunteering at a local not-for-profit, called Made by Mama, where a group of my friends and I made over 280 meals in 3 hours! Made by Mama help’s families who are facing situations of adversity and crisis, by providing healthy prepared meals, wholesome baked goods, baby essentials, and other services to allow mothers the time they need to rest, recover and focus on their families and their health. For more information about Made by Mama, click here, I highly recommend volunteering with them!

For this Bowl in particular, I steamed some broccoli and cauliflower florets, added some brown rice and mixed a can of drained organic chickpea’s in with the cream sauce and veggies! Creamy, hearty and delicious!

Butternut Squash is one of the best plant sources of Beta Carotene (the plant version of Vitamin A, which gets converted into Vitamin A in the liver!) It’s also a great source of the electrolytes: calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium and has some small amounts of amino acids (the building blocks that make up protein)

Chickpeas contain lots of protein and fibre as well as minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. The B vitamins in chickpeas are abundant as well, including Pantothenic acid B5 which is the anti-stress vitamin!

Rosemary is actually a member of the mint family! It is a powerful antioxidant and antiseptic, and can aid digestion and circulation as well as help relieve intestinal cramps and spasms. Studies at the University of Pennsylvania showed that rosemary’s antioxidant action might impede tumour formation in animal mammary cells by inhibiting the binding of a known carcinogen.

Recipe tips:

You can roast the squash in the oven, by cutting in half, taking the seeds out, and roasting at 350 for 20-40 minutes. Once squash is done, scoop out and add to cooked onions (cooked as directed), saute 5 minutes and set aside.
If serving with pasta, try also adding in raw vegetables like grated carrot, zucchini and red peppers!
This also makes a great sauce for making a casserole out of leftovers! Add in left over rice or quinoa, cooked veggies like steamed broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, zucchini, (options are endless!) and a protein, pour the sauce over the top, and mix it up a little with a little bone broth, and warm up in the oven until heated all the way through.
This makes a pretty thick cream sauce, so I suggest adding in some water to thin it out, especially if you are pre making it and placing it in the fridge it will become extremely thick and take on a more “mousse” consistency.

Rosemary and Butternut Cream Sauce

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: About 3 cups of sauce, without adding water

ingredients

1 tbsp Coconut oil
Half a white onion, chopped
1 small butternut squash, pealed and chopped like hash browns (about 2.5-3 cups)
1 can coconut cream
2 tsp dried rosemary
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
Juice of half a lemon
Sea Salt/pink salt and pepper
1/2-1 cup of Water for thinning, if desired

method

Add onion and squash to pan with coconut oil, sauté until squash is cooked and a wooden spoon easily cuts through the squash. Stir frequently, and keep adding a bit of water to help it cook without sticking or crisping.
Once cooked, empty pan into bowl and rinse out frying pan
Add coconut oil and rosemary to pan, over low heat
Continue to stir until coconut oil is melted and add garlic
Keep stirring until garlic and rosemary become fragrant
Add coconut cream and turn heat up to medium
Once it starts to thicken, (after 5 min or so) add onion and butternut squash mixture
Simmer another 5 minutes and add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Add to blender and blend until smooth
Rinse out pan again, and begin to cook your protein
Once cooked, add sauce and stir until heated through, add water if desired, and more salt and pepper if necessary