When it comes to faith, it is without a doubt the one thing in life I think we ought to never leave the house without heaps of. Believing is next to breathing in my opinion, and I've yet to see a disastrous face plant after any scary leap I've ever taken (and hey, that's what friends are for, to pick you up, right?).Faith is one of those things that you can't get from anywhere but within you, and no matter who you are or what you have it can't be bought. You've just got to find it within yourself to trust. Without faith, all that life hurdles at us becomes hardship, instead of challenge. Without challenges, we become idle, and idleness breeds boredom. Faith in ourselves and in our future is what we have to live for, and without it, pushing forward into the unknown is impossible. After all, what will help us overcome the fear of not knowing what is next in life?
Belief that it will be good, and we can make it that way. Belief that we will be strong, and that we are always in the right place at the right time. For us. There is a saying that our life lessons come to us in life when we are ready to handle them ~ if we resist those lessons they will chase us. If we face them, we will grow. Faith always trumps fear. Every time. You've just got to leap. And plus, it's pretty darned fun. I write this is as I start the third year of a passion project that has seen me grow farther and faster in two years than I ever thought possible. I took a leap 2 years ago almost to the day, and I still lay awake at night excited about what the next day could possibly bring (cue the butterflies). I am so excited to see what comes next.
This uber-tasty vegan recipe comes from the pile of well-used and well-loved recipe books I've collected through the years. It's a fave, and in my opinion 1000 times better than any heavy dairy-based pasta sauce. Taste and see for yourself, and enjoy!
Spring Pasta Alfredo With Roasted Asparagus
(1) bunch fresh asparagus(1-2) tbsp olive oil
(1) pinch of salt
(3) cups dry pasta of choice, cooked according to package directions
(1-2) cups alfredo sauce, recipe below
(2-3) leaves fresh basil, sliced into ribbons (optional)
black pepper as desired
Start by heating the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a flat baking tray with a little oil and set aside. Rinse the asparagus under cold water and trim off the rough bottom edges (about 1-2 inches). Toss the cut asparagus in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil or so and some optional salt.
Lay the asparagus spears flat on the baking tray and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes until browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before using as is or cutting into halves lengthwise to add to your pasta & sauce.
Once the asparagus is in the oven, put up some water to boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta, drain and set aside until the sauce and asparagus is ready.
The Alfredo Sauce
~ adapted from Silvers Hills Kitchen
(1) cup raw cashews(2.5) cups water
2 tbsp white flour
(1/2) tsp garlic powder or granules
(1) tsp salt
(1) tsp dried basil
(1) tbsp olive oil
Combine all ingredients except for the dried basil in a blender and blend until smooth, letting the blender run a full minute or two to ensure the cashews are well blended. Alternatively, you can start with 1/2 the water and add the remainder after the first 30 seconds or so of blending.
Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan and bring to a slow boil, stirring as you go here and there. Once the sauce is bubbling and thick, add the basil and remove from the heat.
To serve this dish, combine the cooked pasta and a cup or so of the prepared sauce in a wok or larger saucepan. Add sauce as desired and taste for salt. Toss the hot sauce with freshly cooked pasta until desired sauce coating is reached, and the mixture is hot. Serve immediately by arranging the pasta either in individual bowls or on a platter and top with roasted asparagus, basil ribbons, fresh pepper and additional olive oil if desired (I always desire olive oil).
This is hands down my kids favourite creamy pasta, as I can't tell you the number of times we've ordered dairy-based pasta alfredo for the girls in a restaurant only to watch them leave with a gut bomb and a whole second dinner's worth left on the plate. Not with this one. They clean their plates every time, and a little does go a long way.
This is a meal that reheats beautifully and the sauce will keep for days in the fridge and can be used as a spread on sandwiches, or as a moistener for fritters & burgers as well in a pinch. Kids love it. Adults love it. I think you will too. Happy spring!
