To make the base sauce your list of ingredients is as follows;
2 red onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 head cauliflower
2-3 tblsps of quark (its like a low fat philadelphia) - alternatively use 1 tblsp creme fraiche.
1 chicken stock melt
fresh tarragon
black pepper
smoked chicken - again, any chicken will do but the smoked chicken gives an AMAZING flavour. If you use regular chicken, chop up 2 slices of parma ham to add instead.
Punnet of cherry tomatoes.
You will need one pot to accommodate an entire cauliflower chopped and a non stick frying pan.
To Make The Base For The Sauce;
Chop the onions and sautee (in a non stick pot) on a very low heat in a teaspoon of butter or coconut oil. Once they become transparent (about 10 mins) add your chopped garlic. Do not let the onions blacken at the edges. While the garlic is infusing over a low heat, chop your cauliflower into small pieces and add to the pot. Add half the chicken stock melt and just enough water to cover all the onion and a little of the cauliflower - probably about a cup. Leave the pot on a low heat with a top on and allow the cauliflower to steam in the stock. Check it every now and again to make sure the water hasn't boiled off. While this is steaming, switch your attention to the second part of the sauce.
Part 2;
One of the things I really feel makes this sauce is having a juicy plum tomato to pop every few mouthfuls. Pop a whole punnet of tomatoes into the frying pan - no oil needed and let them start to warm. In the meantime, mix the other half of the stock melt with 1/2 cup of water. Add this to the pan on a low heat so the tomatoes start to soften. Add in a good bunch of fresh (or dried) tarragon (the more the merrier as far as Im concerned) and stir. Turn off the heat and return to the cauliflower.
Use a hand blender to blend the cauliflower mix into a thick sauce - it should come to the consistency of stiff whipped cream. Put the heat back on under the tomatoes and add a few spoons of the cauliflower mixture stirring as you go. Next, add your quark, a little at a time. If you like the texture at just 1 tblsp, thats fine....if you are looking for a really creamy treat, add the full 3 tblsps.
Remember, you only need to use about 1/3 of the cauliflower mix and the rest would be wonderful as a base under some white fish or with some mushrooms chopped through it to go with a chicken dish.
Finally, add the smoked chicken to your sauce to allow enough time for it to heat before you add the pasta. This also works well with courgetti!
If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your feedback! Please let me know how you get on with it, or post a picture of your attempts :)
Fi x
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