(43) Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

I think I'm officially on a cauliflower kick! I've never made mashed cauliflower before, but I've heard that it's good. I'm here to report that yes, indeed, it is GOOD! I went with the microwave version and I had too cook it nearly twice as long as suggested. It was really easy, though. The garlic was nice and mellow and the consistency was extremely creamy! We both give this two thumbs up!

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Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Source: Eating Well Magazine, February/March 2005
Yield: 4 servings, 3/4 cup each

Our savory cauliflower puree makes a perfect low-carb stand-in for mashed potatoes. It gets its fabulous flavor from garlic, buttermilk and a touch of butter and, best of all, it has about one-quarter of the calories of typical mashed potatoes. If you like, vary it by adding shredded low-fat cheese or chopped fresh herbs.

8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish

1. Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)

2. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Per serving : 107 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 3 mg Cholesterol; 10 g Carbohydrates; 5 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 339 mg Sodium; 288 mg Potassium

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk. (for this recipe that's 1/3 c milk, 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice!)

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(40) Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan

Cauliflower is one of those things I don't cook very often. I love it, though, and it was on sale this week, so voila - here we have Roasted Cauliflower. I made half the serving, using only 1 head of cauliflower. I cut the florets too small, so take a note from me - medium to large florets!! The flavor was OUTSTANDING. I found myself standing over the bowl with a fork! I am going to make this again soon and will try it with dried herbs, which would be even quicker! This is a 5 star, 2 thumbs up dish! MEOW!

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Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan

Source: Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Use any fresh herbs you have on hand for this holiday recipe. While parsley, tarragon, and thyme make a nice combination, you can also try sage, chives, and rosemary.

12 cups cauliflower florets (about 2 heads)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place cauliflower in a large roasting pan or jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with oil; toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring every 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, thyme, tarragon, and garlic. Bake 5 minutes. Combine cauliflower mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to combine.

CALORIES 89 (35% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.4g); IRON 1.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 83mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.1g; SODIUM 251mg; PROTEIN 5.2g; FIBER 5.4g

Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyere

One thing about me, I can't pass up a good deal! I am the coupon queen and I love sales!!! So after Thanksgiving when the turkeys went on sale for dirt cheap, I scooped one up. I cooked it last night in my roaster oven (love the roaster oven!!) and needed some good sides to go with it! I made cornbread and sausage stuffing. That was a first for me. I think I need a do-over because mine was a bit too crumbly, but the flavor rocked! This recipe coming up, however, was my hands down favorite. SO GOOD.

A few changes - I used swiss because I couldn't find Gruyere in my dinky Publix. I was a little heavy handed with the cheese. I was also heavy handed with the chives, which I think was a definite good idea. I used FF milk because that's all we had in the house. This recipe was SO SO GOOD. Please try it and tell me what you think!!


 
Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyère

Gruyère's nutty, earthy flavor is a nice match for subtle cauliflower, and crisp breadcrumbs add texture. Substitute broccoli for the cauliflower, if you prefer. You can prepare all the elements for the dish a day ahead, if necessary. Refrigerate the sauce, the cauliflower, and the breadcrumb mixture separately, and simply assemble before baking. 

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place cauliflower in a 2-quart broiler-safe baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; coat cauliflower with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until almost tender. Cool 5 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in panko. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese and chives.

5. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 cup cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, parsley, and pepper. Pour milk mixture over cauliflower mixture; toss. Top evenly with cheese mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

CALORIES 161 (34% from fat); FAT 6g (sat 3.6g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 233mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18g; SODIUM 295mg; PROTEIN 9.7g; FIBER 3.6g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008