Earlier in the week I mentioned the menu for my mother’s birthday party, and promised to share the recipe I created for cabbage wedges with grain-free cheese sauce (got concept from here).  The sauce recipe there reminded me of a very processed white sauce, but I make a simple and very delicious white sauce from scratch, and it occured to me that a) I could use nut flour to make it grain-free, and b) I could consider the cabbage in place of noodles (eg macaroni and cheese concept)! 

I had heard of using carrots and summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash) as grain-free pasta substitutes (use a peeler and peel length-wise down the vegetable so you create long strips), but I think you can use just about steamed vegetable if it appeals to you!   (When I say pasta substitute, I don’t mean in terms of flavor in as far as being a base to put tasty sauces on.)

Okay, I know that might sound weird, but the kids really liked this new cheese sauce, which eliminates the whole wheat flour I usually use as a base.  Even ds20 months was sitting in his high chair munching on cabbage, and since I served the cheese sauce separately (because my mother is minimizing fats right now), the serving bowl of sauce got a good workout being repeatedly requested back and forth across the table!

Cabbage Wedges with Cheese Sauce

• 1 head cabbage, cut into eighths
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 c. nut flour (whatever kind you have)
• 4 c. milk (I used raw cow’s milk but coconut milk would work, too)
• 16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 t. sea salt (add more salt if using coconut milk to balance the flavor)
• sprinkle of pepper

Steam the cabbage wedges until tender.  While the cabbage is steaming, prepare the sauce.  Melt the coconut oil, then saute the onion in the oil.  When onion is translucent, mix in the nut flour. Then stir in milk and spices (I wasn’t sure if the nut flour would thicken as regular whole wheat flour did, so I used less milk than what I listed above, but wrote in what I would do in the future so the consistency would be better – it got very thick).  Continually stir the mixture as it thickens so it doesn’t burn.  When the consistency is what you’d like it to be, stir in the shredded cheese.

You can put the cabbage in the oven and heat it with the cheese sauce on top for about 20 minutes, or just serve without any further ado!  Serve cheese sauce warm over any kind of pasta or steamed vegetables. 

This would be suitable for anyone who wants to eliminate grains or glutens, or lower carbs. 

(This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays.)

Avivah