Recipe of the Day!

So for you carb addicts out there -- especially those who LOVE their mashed potatoes -- this one could become your new most favorite thing ever! I know I now totally crave this side dish and it is often my lunch, especially on a day that I am running. So good for you! So satisfying! So full of fiber!! So low calorie! It's not even fair that something this good can be so healthy.

TRY IT before you judge!! You will probably not be too keen on the sound of it but PLEASE TRY IT. You'll be surprised at how amazing it is. Before I started making this, I thought I HATED the main ingredient, and would never touch it except in dire circumstances, raw on crudite and smothered in Ranch dressing. Now I can't get enough of the stuff! So even if you don't think you like it, TRY IT!! You getting the theme here? Just in case you're missing it, it's TRY IT!!

Okay, here goes!!

CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES!

Look, he's shy because he thinks you won't like him . . . . awwwww :(

Seriously, it's AWESOME!

Okay, so dice up one small regular white potato, a fair amount of onion (I use two good slices but this is up to how much you like onion) and then about a third of the florets from a couple-pound head of cauliflower. The less of the stem you include, the more "mashed" your "potatoes" will seem, but the stem does have a lot of awesome fiber in it, and if you cook it enough and use a ricer you can also get the consistency pretty darn close!

I use my Pampered Chef veggie steamer for the microwave (I know, you're not supposed to microwave stuff, you can totally do it on the stovetop, too! Relax!) and put in the diced potato, diced onion, a fresh crushed clove of garlic (or more if you love garlic!), a few cups of the cauliflower florets, a spritz of WildTree butter-flavored grapeseed oil, and a half teaspoon of chicken bouillon I keep in the fridge. Cover halfway with water, and put in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes at a time, keep checking for consistency. When fork-mashable, you can then either rice the mixture, add a little milk and then whip with a hand mixer, or just go for it with the hand mixer. The amount of milk you wish to add depends upon how much water you have in there, and the consistency you want. You can add a tablespoon or two of instant mashed potatoes if you need more potato-like consistency, but I think you'll just be so happy with the flavor, you won't care that it's not just like regular mashed pots.

SO DELISH!

A HUGE serving of this the way I make it (with the real potato) is 250 calories, but I found a recipe that calls for buttermilk, butter and more oil than I use and theirs came out to the following for a 3/4 cup serving (probably because they used no white potato):

Nutrition

Per serving: 107 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 3 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 339 mg sodium; 288 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (150% daily value), Folate (22% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

The beauty of this recipe is that it's a total canvas for adding whatever flavors you love: grated Parmesan cheese, more garlic, curry, buttermilk vs. regular milk, and the Eating Well recipe that I lifted the nutritional info from suggests using a food processor for extra creaminess (I'm in too much of a hurry to eat it once it cooks, a quick pass with the hand mixer is all the time I take before shoveling it into my belly!!)

Hope you and your family love this one! Especially this week when cauliflower is on sale for 99 cents a pound! Wow!