Mashed Cauliflower

I was so happy when restaurants started serving this as an alternative to mashed potatoes. Sadly, as the Atkins craze started to fizzle, most restaurants pulled the side from their menus. I still like to make it though, and have gotten a few people hooked on it. 

The key to this dish is to give it enough spice that it isn't bland. I've tried all kinds of different cheeses in this dish and never had it turn out bad. Feel free to try anything from American cheese slices to diet powdered "Cheese Buds". 

1 medium head cauliflower

1Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 Tbsp spreadable butter

Cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces and boil in a pot of salted water until tender (20-25 minutes). I find that the longer it boils, the better. Drain the cauliflower well in a colander. Transfer to a stand mixer or bowl to mix it with a hand mixer. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. 

You can freeze this side dish in freezer bags and defrost on the counter in about an hour or overnight in the fridge. The photo above is defrosted from my freezer, which is why it appears a bit runny. Heat it back up in the oven and give it a good stir, and it will be good as new. 

Mac & Cheese Surprise

Yet another recipe to get vegetables into unsuspecting husbands and children. They will never know!

 

2 cups chicken broth
1 head cauliflower
1/2 box of your favorite pasta
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 Tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tsp garlic powder

1 Tsp onion powder

1 Tsp Italian seasoning

 

Recipe Adapted from Virginia Sweet Pea

Grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater. Boil pasta according to package directions but when you add the pasta to the boiling water, add the cauliflower as well. Drain as usual and empty mixture into a baking dish.

 

In a separate saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients, saving the Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs for the topping. Stir constantly until sauce begins to boil. Then, pour the sauce into the cauliflower and pasta mixture. Mix in and top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, until it just begins to brown.



Cauliflower Crust Pizzas

I try to pass healthy things off on my husband and people all the time. In fact we have the same conversation every night, yet it never stops him from trying to get it out of me what he's getting served.

Husband: "What's for dinner?"

Wife: "Food!"

Husband: "What kind of food?"

Wife: "The kind you eat!"

Husband: "I love that kind!" (Starts lifting pot lids and peeking in fridge)

This happens EVERY night in our house, I kid you not. So when I tried to pass this off on him, I was pretty convinced he would not go for it. He was outside working so he didn't see me making it at all and I brought it out to him so we could enjoy it on the patio. After eating one, he clearly knew something was up and I admitted what it was. He was pleasantly surprised. He knew it wasn't pizza crust but couldn't even attempt to put his finger on what it was. After devouring his plate, he exclaimed, to a very stunned wife: "That was great! Is there more?". I think we found a winner in this house! It's picky husband approved!

Crusts:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups pizza cheese blend
1 grated cauliflower head
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

 

Combine ingredients and spoon out crusts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick spray. Don't use wax paper because it will be hard to pull the crusts off. Shape them into squares and they will stay together remarkably well. Bake in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes. I liked them crispier. Don't be worried if the oven smokes a bit, it's just the spray baking off.

 

Recipe Adapted from Fat Girl Trapped In A Skinny Body

 

Top with whatever you like. I used some tomato sauce and turkey pepperoni with extra cheese on top. Then I baked it for 5-7 minutes more until the top cheese melted.



Hindsight:

What is it about cauliflower that is SO smelly? The first night I went to make this, I realized I didn't have eggs so I hung onto it in a bowl in my fridge. My house smelled like farts for DAYS! If I have one complaint about this versatile vegetable, that would be it!

I still haven't found a great and quick way to grate the cauliflower. The first time I made it, I used a cheese grater. The second, I tried a food chopper but it didn't do a great job and you had to load it a little at a time so it took just as long. Either way, it's going to make a mess. I'll update this if I discover a better way and if anyone else finds one, please comment and share the knowledge!