The Best Mashed Cauliflower

Not to brag but this is literally The Best Mashed Cauliflower of all time!  With steamed cauliflower, garlic and onion powder, butter and chives… It’s a delicious and healthy alternative to regular mashed potatoes.  AND it’s low-carb, keto, paleo and gluten-free.

Happy New Year my friends!!!

For me there is something so refreshing about a New Year.  It’s like a clean slate, a fresh start, and hitting the reset button!

All the decorations and clutter have been put away.  All the decadent holiday food is behind us for another year.  All the parties and festivities have come to an end so we can get back to our routines.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not a humbug, I do enjoy the holidays!  But at some point I’m just craving salads and a good sweat session at the gym.

What about you?  Are you excited about 2020?

Have you taken the time set any new goals or make some resolutions?

I like what Zig Ziglar has to say… “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

Isn’t that so true?  It’s so important to customize our goals specifically for ourselves.  They need to be attainable and trackable for us personally.

Defining exactly what we want to accomplish makes it so much clearer, and easier to reach.  I’m really about smart goal setting to make my goals measurable, instead of vague resolutions. 

You know… saying “I want to work out more” or “I want to eat healthier” isn’t really specific or clear-cut.  And because of that,  many times we don’t follow through. 

But if you say “I want to lose 10 pounds by March 1^st” –  well, that’s specific and therefore something you can break down into a plan… like figuring out a new gym schedule and researching healthy recipes to add to your meal plan.

As you can tell I’m super passionate about a New Year and all that it can mean!

And if you did set a goal to eat healthier  – I’m so your girl!  I believe you can eat things that are good for you, and still thoroughly enjoy them.

Which leads me to today’s recipe… The Best Mashed Cauliflower – everrr!

You may have noticed cauliflower seems to be a healthy food trend these days.  You’ve got cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust, roasted cauliflower, cauliflower crackers, buffalo cauliflower, cauliflower soup, and of course cauliflower mashed potatoes aka mashed cauliflower.

How healthy is cauliflower?

1. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. It contains almost every vitamin and mineral you need.
2. 1 cup of cauliflower has 25 calories, 2 grams of protein, plus vitamin c, vitamin k, B6 and many more vitamins.
3. Cauliflower has great fiber content (3 grams of fiber in 1 cup) which helps with digestion, keeps you satiated for a long time, and helps protect the lining of your stomach. 
4. 1 cup of cauliflower only has 5 grams of carbohydrates so it’s a good option for people following a low glycemic diet due to health conditions like diabetes, or those pursuing a low-carb/keto diet. I mean lifestyle.😊

So you can see why this pale veggie is so popular and such a great alternative to other higher carb foods.

And if all that wasn’t enough – it’s absolutely delicious!  Especially when it’s turned into cauliflower mashed “potatoes”!

Get excited people!!!

How to make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes:

1. Start by washing the head of cauliflower.  Then remove the leaves and the hard stem and break or cut it into florets.  Add a steamer insert to a large soup pot.  Then add 2 cups of water, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat.  Next, add the cauliflower.

2. Steam the cauliflower for 15 minutes for 1-2 heads, or until fork tender (extend to 17 minutes if you are using 3 heads).

3. Remove the cauliflower from the pot and let it cool enough to handle. You can discard any of the steaming liquid that is left.  Wrap the steamed cauliflower florets in a thin cotton kitchen towel.

4. Give the cauliflower 5 good squeezes over the kitchen sink to remove some of the liquid.  This will help the finished product have a texture that is more like real mashed potatoes. 

A few pro tips here:

• Keep in mind that cauliflower is full of water.  One cup of cauliflower produces more than ¼ cup of water!
• If you prefer a thinner consistency for your mashed cauliflower, then there’s no need to squeeze any water out of the cauliflower.
• And one more thing I should mention… the towel you use to squeeze the water out of the cauliflower should be rinsed out by hand really well.  It will have a very strong sulfurous scent and should be rinsed before you wash it in the washing machine.  Trust me I learned the hard way. Lol

5. Add the cauliflower to a food processor then pulse and puree until nice and smooth.  Then add the melted butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and blend until well combined.  You may need to stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the food processor to make sure everything is well incorporated.

6. Stir in some chopped chives and add top with a thin slice of butter… Mmmmm, it’s so good!

You can store the mashed cauliflower in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Just reheat it in the microwave.

This is truly The Best Mashed Cauliflower Recipe of all time!  It’s garlicy, buttery and so smooth with a hint of natural sweetness.

I can’t wait for you to try this healthy yumminess!! 

The post The Best Mashed Cauliflower appeared first on Taste And See.