Happpyyy Monday!
I’m feeling extra motivated this week and have already set my intentions for the week. If you don’t follow me on Snapchat (username Inspiralized), I recently shared that I like to “set my intentions” on Mondays.
What does that mean?
I literally write down what my intentions are for the week and I keep them in my work notepad right next to my desk so that I look at them all week. On Fridays, I like to look back and see how I did- did I stick to my intentions?
I started this about 6 months ago and the first few Fridays after setting those Monday intentions, I noticed that by Wednesday, I had forgotten all about my intentions and slid into my old habits.
It was a really helpful exercise, because I felt disappointed on Fridays when I didn’t stick to those intentions – it’s only four days! Four days is nothing! If Leonardo DiCaprio can withstand a bear attack and trek across the west, I can stick to my goals for four days, right?
Long story short, I recommend you write down your intentions for the week – it’ll help you stay accountable and you’ll end up having great weeks! If you want to hear more, I’m talking about it in an Anchor podcast (username Inspiralized) at 10:00am today!
Anywho, today’s recipe is easy, creamy, delicious and totally vegan! We only have one more vegan recipe this week before we resume omnivorous-ness on the blog!
Now, if you’re nervous to try rutabaga, DON’T BE! It spiralizes easily (as long as it’s well-peeled and not too large) and roasts well. Just pop it in the oven for 15ish minutes and you’ll get buttery, slightly nutty noodles! They’re a current favorite.
And this cream sauce. It’s made from soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, and a few other ingredients. And if you’ve never made a sauce with cashews, do it! All it takes is a little preparation – literally, place cashews in a bowl and cover them with water.
So, if you’re going to make this recipe this week, just place the cashews in the water before you leave for work in the morning and when you get home, this dinner will be done in 30 minutes.
And as always, if you’re not vegan, you can top this with your favorite meat – it goes really well with grilled chicken! If you are vegan and want more protein, tempeh goes nicely or some butter beans!
Before I go, check out my latest Anchor wave (it’s a 2-minute podcast platform) about setting my intentions for the week:
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 8 points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Creamy Spiralized Rutabaga with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked in water for at least 2 hours (up to 24), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- pepper to taste
- For the pasta:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 5 teaspoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 medium rutabagas or 3 small, peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- On another baking sheet, line it with parchment paper and lay out the rutabaga noodles. Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Roast both the tomatoes and rutabaga in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until rutabaga is cooked through to al dente and tomatoes are browned and burst when pierced with a fork.
- While the tomatoes and rutabaga bake, prepare the sauce. Place everything into a high speed blender and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust to your preference with more nutritional yeast or salt.
- Toss the rutabaga with the cheese sauce and divide onto plates. Top with the burst tomatoes. Serve as is or top with your favorite protein.
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