Chicken and Broccoli "Alfredo"

Who doesn't love alfredo sauce?! It's rich, it's creamy, oh so comforting and delicious. Traditional alfredo sauce is made with butter, flour, and heavy cream, and cheese....it's just not a good situation:/ So in hopes of getting a healthier option without sacrificing texture or flavor, I turned to Google! I heart google! I typed in " vegan alfredo sauce", and after filtering through quite a few that used tofu, I found one that was made with...drumroll.........CASHEWS! Of course cashews, why didn't I think of that?! If you've ever worked with the cashew, it shouldn't surprise you how well they work in this recipe! They are so so helpful! I use them to make fudge, raw filling for my key lime pie :) :)...a parmesan cheese sub in my caesar dressing....and now alfredo sauce! The list goes on and on! Needless to say one of my favorite nuts and kitchen staples for sure. My family was wowed by this recipe. They could not believe it contained no butter, heavy cream, or cheese!! Just wonderfully awesome cashews, some almond milk, and salt and pepper! That's it! Don't be skeptical......try it.....you'll love it!

Serves 4-5

4tbls. coconut or grapeseed oil

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts cut into small chunks

1 head of broccoli

1 bag frozen green peas

1/2 onion

3 cloves garlic

Heat the oil on medium high. Add in the onion and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add in the chicken and cook until completely done. Add in the broccoli and peas and turn heat down to low. Cook covered on low while you make the sauce:)

Sauce:

3/4c. raw cashews ( soak them in just enough water to cover them for about 30 minutes)

unsweetened plain almond milk ( I haven't measured this. I usually just pour enough to make the cashews creamy)

salt and pepper to taste

After soaking the cashews for about 30 minutes, discard the water and place cashews in a food processor. Add salt, pepper. Stream in almond milk until it becomes creamy. If it gets too runny, you can always add a few more cashews....if it's too thick, add more milk:) Once completely blended, add to the chicken and veggie mixture. Stir until everything is completely coated. Again, feel free to add more milk if you like it very saucy. Serve with cooked spaghetti squash instead of noodles:)