I’m not calling you a dummy, I swear!
Over the last few months, Adam and I have thoroughly embraced the delicious South Beach Diet side dish that is mashed cauliflower. One of the things that I’ve really missed in these months (with a couple of gaps for the holidays) following South Beach have been potato-based side dishes. Sweet potatoes are fantastic, but sometimes, bland white potatoes cooked in a fun way is what I want.
Mashed cauliflower to the rescue!
Many of you have emailed asking for my process in making mashed cauliflower since it always comes out looking so much like “real” mashed potatoes. So, on this busy Monday, I bring you a step-by-step tutorial to make your very own delicious side dish.
Just a caveat: this is NOT mashed potatoes. Anyone who tells you this tastes “just like” mashed potatoes is crazy. However, the texture is close, and the flavor is close enough that it makes a great substitute.
Start with a head of cauliflower.
Now, I know that not everyone has cauliflower for $0.59 per pound like we do. Feel free to use a bag (or two!) of frozen cauliflower florets in place of the fresh. Everything else will stay the same.
Cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding only the core and external leaves.
Place the florets in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and then…
In the mean time, assemble your other ingredients:
Be careful when you remove the bowl from the microwave; that steam is ridiculously hot and abundant!
Now, make sure you have everything:
I used asiago cheese, but cheddar is amazing, parmesan is fantastic, and mozzarella is beautifully gooey. But the point is, use 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Pour the milk over the hot cauliflower and then puree the heck out of it with either a stick blender or food processor. Add the salt, pepper, and butter, then puree more. Last, add the cheese, puree again, and allow to sit a few minutes before serving to let all the cheese melt.
Not very impressive-looking, right? This looks better as a side dish:
That’s brisket that cooked all day. No, you can’t have the recipe… I promised my mom! But you can have the cauliflower mash! And trust me, you’ll like it!
