I’m unintentionally on a cabbage family spree. You may appreciate cauliflower with this recipe because it’s so simple to prepare, and avoids the starch that accompanies potatoes. It would be a shame not to share this recipe in case someone hasn’t discovered it yet.
When steamed and mashed, cauliflower makes a great base for comfort food, especially stews and slow-cooked marinades. Or it’s great with some butter, salt, and grated cheese on top.
You can make it like creamy mashed potatoes, or slightly lumpy mashed potatoes. For the creamy version, blend on a high speed, and for the lumpy version (in the picture above) pulse on a low setting in a blender, just enough to leave it a little lumpy.
On rare occasions, I buy purple, orange, or green cauliflower. And the orange cauliflower has quite a bit more vitamin C than the other colors.
Mashed Cauliflower "Potatoes"
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set up a steamer to steam the cauliflower, or you can boil it.
- I use a steam backet in a large saucepan with the cover on top. Just fill the saucepan with water below the steamer level and set to a low to medium heat. You can also use a rice steamer, bamboo steamer, or other steaming setup you may have. The only requirement is that the water should not touch the food.
- Steam the cauliflower for about 15 minutes or until tender. I fork inserted into it should go in easily.
- Cool the cauliflower for a bit and then place it in a food processor or blender with butter (or oil). I sometimes add a few tablespoons of water (or you can add your favorite milk) to make it easier to blend).
- Pulse until it is the consistency you prefer. Use a slow speed for lumpy mashed, and a high speed for creamy mashed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days.
I love Mashed Cauliflower. I was so happy to discover this once I started my low-starch diet. I first used it as part of a Shephards Pie substitution, though I use a little more butter. I think it tastes very close to the real thing.
I also make a 50-50 mix with real mashed potatoes for my fiance since she would rather have the real thing.
I made this a while ago, and it’s really good! I can’t have dairy, so I flavor it with olive oil, garlic, and a bit of sea salt. Good stuff. 🙂