RAVE - "Clean"? Alfredo Sauce

If you weren't aware, in the past 6 weeks, I've done 2 bouts of a special 10-Day Cleanse program that my good buddy, Beth Young, put me (and some other ladies) up to. In those 20 days (separated by a good 3 weeks), I've dropped 9lbs, and feel pretty great! The struggle, however, has been trying to find recipes to make that don't taste like "clean" recipes.

I'm ecstatic to have found a great blog with lots of great recipes for "clean" stuff! I found this particular recipe while searching for a great, "clean", healthy alfredo sauce. I know you're thinking, "Humdawg, you're delusional - alfredo is in no way, shape or form 'clean'", and you're right! But this...this is!

So here is this incredible recipe, thanks to Tiffany from www.thegraciouspantry.com. Of course, I modified it to use ingredients I normally have on hand (basil, fresh garlic).

Ingredients:

1 lg container cottage cheese * (she recommends 4C)
1/2 C Kraft parmesan and romano cheese *
I did not add the milk or garlic powder as Tiffany did.
I did add chopped fresh basil and minced garlic to taste.


*I was supposed to use the organic kind, but I'll admit that my small-town grocery store didn't carry any, so I bought the non-organic stuff, which makes the recipe a little less "clean".

Directions:

You combine all the ingredients in a double-boiler (or in my case, a metal bowl on top of a pot of boiling water, and let it all melt together, using a hand-mixer to diminish the cottage cheese chunks. You can't let it heat too fast or the cottage cheese will separate, which would be gross. I think had I added the milk, it might not have been quite so stringy when I blended it, but it was INCREDIBLE, and reheated just fine as well.

I poured this over some penne pasta with grilled chicken sauteed with mushrooms, onions and broccoli. It was better than any entree I've had at Olive Garden - better than any alfredo sauce I've had that I can recall, and it's BETTER for you than any alfredo sauce too!

I apologize, yet again, for the lack of pictures, but the good news is they are working on my lens!! Hopefully it will be back soon!