I’m not a huge fan of recipes, because I lack the patience involved in carefully measuring everything out. I prefer meals that are difficult to get wrong, and which can easily be upgraded with whatever veggies I have on hand.

Last night, with a head of broccoli and cauliflower in our fridge, I decided to make a dressed-up cauliflower alfredo.

My advice for anyone just entering the world of plant-based cooking is to not overthink it, and to learn how to recreate your favourite recipes without needing processed, pre-packaged, soy-based dairy and meat alternatives. (For the record, I sometimes eat those foods too, but am in favour of eating whole foods, often)

For the sauce, I blended up:

• 1 cauliflower, cut into large pieces, boiled for about 10 minutes
• 5 cloves of garlic
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste
• 1 cup of the water used to boil the cauliflower

To dress it up, I baked the following at 350 degrees:

• 1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, roughly chopped

I used spaghetti, which is what I had on hand. I also happened to have some of Doug McNish’s Pumpkin Seed Parmesan, which I added because I love the texture.

The whole meal takes just over 20 minutes to whip-up, and I made enough sauce for about 4 or 5 full dinners.

What are your favourite plant-based substitutes? I’m crazy about butternut squash mac and cheese, but after tonight I might be adding this alfredo pasta to the dinner rotation.

— Laura