I wish today was last Wednesday because Thanksgiving would be tomorrow and then I could be eating turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes galore!
…but…it’s not.
Back to healthy eating.
Ok, so, I love mashed potatoes.
Mashed potatoes is one of my favorite foods and I could eat it every day.
Correction.
I would eat it every day if it wasn’t loaded full of cream or milk and butter.
Is butter a carb?
You’re probably thinking, it doesn’t seem that bad, but I am a butter fiend so I had to come up with a healthy, but tasty alternative.
In comes the cauliflower.
Cauliflower is so “in” right now.
There is roasted cauliflower, steamed cauliflower; riced, mashed, made into a pizza crust, shaved, crudités, fried…the list goes on.
Basically, cauliflower is everywhere. It is helping to create tasty yet flavorful healthier alternatives to some of our favorite dishes.
Back to the whole mashed potato thing. Have you guessed? Mashed cauliflower! This potato substitution looks like the real thing and tastes…dare I say…better than mashed potatoes!
Don’t knock it ‘till you try it. You won’t be disappointed. The consistency of the mash, the color and texture is almost identical. You might be able to fool your avid potato lovers.
I jazz up the cauli mash the same way as I would mashed potatoes; fresh thyme, a little garlic, parmesan and the clutch…crème fraîche.
Crème fraiche is the perfect alternative to butter and cream as a little goes a long way. It is similar to sour cream, but is less “sour” and has a lower viscosity and higher fat content. Plus, it tastes damn good.
Now, I am all about options. I did a quick chicken broth steam bath for the cauliflower florets and garlic but try roasting them. They will be smokier and carry more depth of flavor.
After the sauna the florets and garlic are processed with fresh seasonings and cheese. The crème fraîche is then folded in to create a velvety smooth texture.
Try this dish out for the upcoming holidays or just for dinner tonight. Xx
- 1 large cauliflower, stem removed and cut into florets
- 4-5 cloves of garlic ( I love garlic)
- 1/3 cup Parmesan
- ½ cup chicken stock, or enough to cover the bottom of a steaming pan, or enough to cover the florets if microwaving
- 2 tbsp. crème fraîche.
- 2 tsps. fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Place florets in a steaming basket or microwave safe dish. Combine stock and garlic and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cauliflower and garlic to a food processor and add in the thyme, Parmesan salt and pepper.
- Blend on high for about a minute, until the texture is smooth.
- Fold in the crème fraîche.
- Add in additional seasonings if needed. Serve warm!
- You can use an immersion blender in lieu of a food processor.
- Try roasting the cauliflower instead of steaming. If you roast be sure to reserve chicken stock or water to add to the blending proces
