Chickpea alfredo with watercress and chives

The thing about alfredo that plagues me is the same thing that might be said about cacio e pepe, or macaroni & cheese, or carbonara — they’re dishes that I adore with all my soul, all cheesy, carb-y deliciousness, but that I eat woefully infrequently, because I somehow always talk myself into something with a little more greenery or a little more protein (and then I wish I went for the alfredo).  Imagine my delight when a recipe came into my life that offered both the satisfaction and bliss of a rich alfredo and the substance of a more protein-packed alternative — instead of cream and cheese, it turns out that soaked cashews (protein!) and chickpea flour (more protein!) can combine with a little nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt and pepper to form, pretty simply, magic.  A chickpea alfredo is practically no-cook and all-blender, comes together in a matter of minutes, but is silky-smooth, every bit as creamy as a traditional alfredo, yet simultaneously lighter and more filling.  Add in a little watercress and chives for brightness, and even B2, who usually has eyes only for pizza, was so into this rendition of a restaurant classic.  Who knew?

As it turns out, Lindsey did!  Lindsey from Dolly & Oatmeal is one of the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, and she dreamed up this alfredo, plus about ninety or so more recipes using chickpea flour in the same ingenious, delicious ways for a brand-new cookbook, out in this world as of today.  It’s called Chickpea Flour Does It All, and, just like this alfredo of hers, it’s wonderful.  Lindsey’s book is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and, like the title suggests, entirely devoted to chickpea flour, but the magic of it is that the book takes you through a full year of beautiful, seasonal recipes without once making you (or more precisely me, the gluten glutton) think that it was tied to any one ingredient, or any one diet.  Instead, it’s two hundred pages of diverse recipes for meals, desserts, snacks, and other goodies that, quite simply, I can’t wait to cook and eat — and when I have, it’s the kind of meal that leaves me feeling better, and more nourished.  In that way, it reminds me of Lindsey’s blog and Lindsey herself, in that every visit to her space or visit with her inevitably leaves me feeling brighter and more content.  A book imbued with that same light and sunshine is a real treat.

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