I’ve been dairy-free and mostly grain-free for a while now.  I was in the mood for some Chicken Alfredo, but I couldn’t have it made with dairy cream.  I was afraid that my family – who are not dairy-free or grain-free – would reject the dairy-free version.

It does have a coconut flavor, of course, but I made sure that it had ample garlic, nutmeg, and lemon zest.  Using coconut cream made it was nice and creamy, and not only did my non-dairy-free family members like it, but my husband put the rest of it away for work before we were even done eating.

Caveat: this is not a low-fat recipe, by any means.

I had mine over red lentil pasta, my family had theirs over traditional wheat pasta.  Since I couldn’t put parmesan cheese in it, I sprinkled some nutritional yeast on mine once plated, and my husband sprinkled mozzarella on his (because, why not? LOL )

If you’d like a more traditional, dairy-full version, I have a previous Chicken Alfredo recipe posted here.

 

Coconut Cream Chicken Mushroom Alfredo

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 T diary-free butter substitute
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
10-14 ounces coconut cream
1 – 1½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
½-1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and half a teaspoon of salt. Sauté chicken 4-5 minutes. Add dairy-free butter, garlic, parsley, and nutmeg, sauté 2 mins. Do not drain any liquid that has accumulated.

Add mushrooms, and additional tablespoon of olive oil if necessary, and cook 5 mins more, stirring often. Cover pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add coconut cream, lemon zest, and a liberal amount of salt and pepper.  Cook for approximately 8 mins over medium heat until thickened, stirring often.

Garnish with parsley, and, if desired, additional lemon zest or nutmeg.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

Note – It was thick enough to our liking, but if you’d like to thicken it a bit, you can add 1-2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch whisked into ¼ cup cold water. Stir and allow to cook until thickened to your preference.