With Passover and Easter coming up, temptations at the dinner table will be lurking.
But this is Fresh From the Farmers Market and it’s time again for a resolution recipe. Make your holiday feast one carb-dish lighter with this recipe.
Mashed potatoes are a favorite. They taste like comfort and seem to pair perfectly with any type of meat. And potatoes are generally pretty good for you—they boast potassium and are low-cal on their own, but we tend to overindulge and mix them up with lots of butter and cream. It’s carbohydrate overload.
So this holiday, take a break from spuds and switch them out for some healthy cauliflower. Yes, I’m telling you to make mashed “potatoes” but with cauliflower instead. The consistency will be close to that of creamy taters, but the taste will take on more of the cauliflower. All you need to add is a little cheese (I like blue cheese) and some salt and pepper.
Cauliflower can be bought at the Coronado Farmers Market from Rey River Farms.
Enjoy this fun twist on mashed potatoes and the smaller waistline you get because of it!
Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute 1/2 teaspoon salt)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
- Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.
- Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.
- In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.
- Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.
Tips and variations
- Boil the cauliflower in some low-sodium vegetable stock for added flavor without added calories.
- Use Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmesan for a saltier kick.
- If you already feel like you’re missing out on potatoes and want to indulge a little with this, use blue cheese instead of cream cheese.
