Dairy Free Cauliflower Cheese

So many of us are lactose intolerant. Experts estimate that a whopping 68% of the world's population experience some level of discomfort when consuming dairy. However, when the winter cools down there isn't anything better than creamy, cheesy foods and one of my ultimate favourites would have to be cauliflower cheese. This was such a nostalgic dish for me - one that I had frequently growing up. Loaded with whole milk, butter and cheese, it was heaven on earth. 

Though I personally have never been diagnosed as lactose intolerant, nowadays I more or less avoid dairy altogether. There are just so many easy substitutes out there that making the switch has been so easy. However, when the weather cools down, the cravings for cauliflower cheese come crashing in. So, it inspired me to create a completely dairy free version that still had the same creaminess of the original. 

To achieve the same texture as the original dish (which originated from Britain), I used soaked raw cashews. To achieve the cheesy, umami flavour, I used dijon mustard and nutritional yeast (be aware - this is very different to yeast you use in bread!).

And my last change, I use the whole cauliflower...stalk, leaves, florets...everything! MOD tries to encourage customers (and people in general) to reduce the amount of household food waste that is thrown out. If you haven't tried cauliflower leaves before, they are delicious roasted with a bit of oil and salt or baked into something like this. They also contain so much nutritional goodness! We dice the stalks so once baked, they simply disappear into the sauce. 

Any milk can be used here. I used plain, unsweetened almond milk as it was all I had in the fridge. Using almond milk does leave the dish with a slight almond taste, which I don't mind but using an oat milk or a light soy milk might be preferred.