Cauliflower Béchamel sauce (dairy-free, gluten-free)

Incorporating healthy ingredients into international classic dishes like a pasta with Béchamel sauce (also known as white sauce) can be quite the struggle.

During the holidays I find myself cooking comfort foods too often, so when I decided to take on the challenge of incorporating veggies into pasta without my younger siblings noticing, I thought I make up with a genius idea: making a mock white-sauce out of cauliflower. Little I knew, that it is already a quite popular susbtitute for the classic Béchamel, and many chefs have already been using it.

So even though it is not a new invention, I'm still quite proud of my very own recipe, it is very simple, requires very few ingredients, and my fussy eaters didn't even notice the change.

Use this Cauliflower sauce as a substitute of Béchamel or white sauce 

It is also the perfect sauce for dairy-free and gluten-free diets, I used dairy-free margarine, but you can use olive oil if you prefer.

This cauliflower Béchamel sauce can be used in a variety of dishes: macaroni, lasagna, gratins... (just like the regular white sauce). So do try this recipe at home!


Ingredients:
- 2 cups cauliflower
- 2 tbsp dairy-free margarine
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Cut the cauliflower in small pieces and steam until tender (you may also opt to boil them)
2. In a saucepan, heat margarine and garlic until golden, then add the steamed or boiled cauliflower.
3. Sauté for a few minutes and add a cup of water.
4. Remove from the heat and blend until you get a creamy sauce, add more water if needed, season with salt and pepper to taste.

So easy! The result is much lighter than the original, but still delicious and creamy. If dairy isn't a problem for you, you may use this sauce for a healthier mac & cheese, or add cheese to make a healthier cheese-dip, the possibilities are endless!