Friday, January 23, 2015

NomNom: Cauliflower Garlic "Mashed Potatoes"

So I just realized that my first food post of 2015 is a vegetable dish. Serious identity crisis going on over here....who am I?

But this recipe is special--so much so that I unknowingly decided to feature it as the first food post for the new year because it's just that solid. No potatoes were used in this recipe unlike other "mashed potato" recipes I came across which used a mix of potatoes and cauliflower. The crazy awesome thing about this recipe is that it mocks the exact taste and texture of garlic mashed potatoes. Winning.

I first utilized this recipe two Thanksgiving ago and totally tricked my sister and dad into thinking they were eating mashed potatoes throughout dinner. It was hilarious. During the meal I was asking my sis what she thought about my new recipe and she was like "this is pretty good! What different ingredients did you use?" I 100% lied to their faces and told them it was a new mashed potato recipe I used and omitted that teeny tiny important fact that I only used cauliflower. Boom.


If I could trick the two people I know who have strong aversions to foods that are characterized as healthy, then you know this recipe is a good one. Since that thanksgiving dinner, this recipe has been on heavy rotation and whenever I make it for the family, I always remind my sister of that time I tricked her into thinking she was eating mashed potatoes....because that's just what older siblings do. Le duh.

On a side note, the blog will be on hiatus for a couple weeks because I'm leaving for Paris/London this weekend! Looking forward to this trip especially because it will probably be one of the last international vacations I will take for awhile. More on that later;)

Have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from Food Network) Yield: 4 servings
1 medium head cauliflower
3 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoon Greek yogurt/light sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 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/dry chives (for garnish)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Procedure
1. Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

2. Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well in colander; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

3. In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.

4. Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.

**Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.



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