Recently, I attended a dinner party with my husband that served what I thought was mashed potatoes (which has never been my favorite). Much to my surprise it was not potatoes, but mashed cauliflower—and I loved it. Prior to that, I had found several recipes for this dish, but was not brave enough to serve to my family, who love mashed potatoes but are not thrilled to try new vegetables. However, since my husband loved them as well, I thought I would combine a few recipes and add my own twist. Could I get my family to eat my mashed cauliflower recipe in the name of mashed potatoes? (not a lie, just not telling the truth).
As my daughter sat down at the table with excitement, as she always does at the sight of mashed potatoes, I waited with anticipation for the first bite. Her words, “Mom, you did something different and they are really good.” Yes! But too early in the game to tell her the truth.
Here is the recipe that my 9 year old daughter and husband loved.
Ingredients: (4 servings)
- 1 head of Cauliflower
- 3 Tablespoons of skim milk
- 1 Tablespoons of I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
- 2 Tablespoons of light cream cheese
- 1 Tablespoon of garlic
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Boil your cauliflower until tender about 15 minutes
- Add all ingredients and blend or mash to your desired consistency. I have done them in a blender as well as mashed by hand and both were well received.
- Sprinkle with cheese and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees to melt cheese; serve hot.
This easy and quick side dish at only130 calories, 11grams of carbs and 6grams of protein, is not only tasty, but a great way to sneak in a serving of vegetables to your diet and home.
I did come clean with my daughter a few days later when she explained to me how much she did not like vegetables. I could not resist but to inform her that she does like cauliflower. With the confused look on her face, I reminded her of the tasty mashed potatoes and let her in on the secret. It was a proud moment for me to know I got her to eat my mashed cauliflower recipe.
In Good Health
Crystal
