cauliflower-mashed-potatoes

Here’s a perfect accompaniment for all those hearty winter main dishes that won’t throw your New Year’s weight loss plans off track. If you’ve never tried them, you’ll be surprised how easy and tasty cauliflower “mashed potatoes” are! Cauliflower has a more interesting flavour than potato, and adding roasted garlic makes this mash even richer, plus loaded with healthy vitamins & antioxidants.

Unlike many healthy substitutions recommended in the pages of your fave fitness magazine, cauliflower mash delivers the same comfort food sensation of the original. And, while I love a mashed potato as much or more than the next girl (I honestly probably consume an entire serving just “tasting” the mashed potatoes every time I make them), I know they’re best saved for occasional consumption. Swapping in cauliflower saves you calories and carbohydrates – a serving of this mash comes in at about 50 calories, compared to 120-150 calories for a serving of mashed potatoes. And nobody actually eats only a “serving” of mashed potatoes.

[Tweet “Save 100 calories per serving with this yummy spin on mashed potatoes! “]

So keep a head of cauliflower in your fridge and try it with steak, chicken, short ribs, meatloaf and anywhere else you want something rich and creamy. Now you can have “mashed potatoes” whenever you want! This mash also reheats very well for a second use the following night or a hot lunch.

roasted garlic cauliflower mash

serves 4-6

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil + extra for sprinkling on garlic
• splash of chicken broth or milk
• pinch nutmeg
• salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Slice garlic across top to reveal cloves; drizzle lightly with olive oil and wrap in foil, then bake 30 minutes until golden & fragrant. 3. Meanwhile, trim stalk & leaves from cauliflower and cut into florets. 4. Steam cauliflower until tender (try a colander over a large pot of water to accommodate large heads of cauliflower in one shot)…

then drain water and place cauliflower in dry pot. Turn element off but keep pot on warm element to stay warm. 5. Squeeze garlic cloves from head into cauliflower; add nutmeg, olive oil, and salt & pepper. 6. Mash with immersion blender or by hand, or remove mixture to blender/food processor for a finer texture. Sneak several “tastes,” then serve piping hot!