Tex here and yep, you read that right. Today we're talking fauxtatoes.
As a part of THM healthier lifestyle, I've cut white potatoes out of my diet. Oh, I might sneak a french fry or two if I'm out, say at a writer's conference, but in my daily living, white potatoes are a thing of the past.
Why?
Basically, as soon as we ingest those potatoes, they turn to sugar.
And since I've cut sugar out of my diet... You get the point.
However, sometimes you just gotta have mashed potatoes. So what's a girl to do?
Come up with an alternative that fits into her new lifestyle.
Enter the dreaded cauliflower.
(dum, dum, dum...)
Now, I have to admit that I've heard about mashed cauliflower and how it was "just like mashed potatoes" for years. Don't get me wrong. I like cauliflower.
But there's no way it could possibly taste like potatoes.
Well, you know how the old adage goes. Don't knock it until you've tried it.
I've knocked it. Now I've tried it.
And you know what?
It's a pretty close substitute.
Yes, the texture is a little different, but the flavor is pretty darn good.
To start, you're going to need this.
Our old friend cauliflower, cut into uniform pieces.
Though, you could also use frozen cauliflower.
Next, I put about 1-2 inches of chicken or vegetable broth in a large sauce pan.
Bring to a boil, then add your cauliflower.
I like to add a little coarse sea salt at this point, but that's purely optional.
Cover and steam until all pieces are tender.
Next, you're going to need:
Butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and whipping cream.
Drain the cooked cauliflower and put into blender or food processor.
Add about 3-4 tablespoons of butter and about 1 tablespoon of the cream and blend until smooth.
Scrape down sides and add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (more, if you like) and salt and pepper to taste and blend again. You can also add a little more cream, if needed.
And here you have it.
Creamy fauxtato goodness.
And you won't believe it. My oldest son, the king of mashed potatoes, even likes them.
He says they taste different than potatoes, but they're still good. I was shocked when I came in one night to find the bowl empty. He'd polished them off!
A miracle, I tell ya.
And probably the first vegetable he's voluntarily eaten in almost 10 years.
Like Jan, my Nov. 1 deadline is fast approaching. However, I think I'll actually turn my manuscript in early.
Whoo-hoo!!!
That means a few days to catch up on housework and cooking before I hit the next book.
My family will be so appreciative.
And, since Saturday is November 1st, I'll be baking pumpkin bread.
I can hardly wait. And no, I will not be leaving out the sugar. Yes, I will eat some.
But I will not feel guilty. I will enjoy every bite. :)
Would you believe I haven't tried fauxtatoes yet?
ReplyDeleteOh, I cook my cauliflower in the chicken broth...but that's where I stop. I use a potato masher to smash the cauliflower, add some cheese, cream, salt and pepper...and I have fauxtato soup :)
My biggest obstacle to making the mashed fauxtatoes for dinner is my family. They don't even want to think about them. So I fix potatoes once in a while for them, and fix my fauxtato soup for lunch :)
I'm trying again to cut sugar out of my diet. I can't believe how addicting it is - although I know some people can eat it without a problem. But it was an eye-opener for me to read about someone's struggle with alcoholism. They described how, if there was any alcohol in the house, they had to drink it. They couldn't NOT drink it. I'm that way with sweets - it takes tremendous will-power to NOT eat cookies or candy if they're in the house.
The stevia-sweetened alternatives are helping, but boy, it's a struggle.
And yes, I will use this in a story some time. :)
Ooo, I hadn't thought about fauxtato soup. I must try that, Jan. Well, once it turns cold, that is.
DeleteI know what you mean about the sugar. Getting off of it was so difficult, which was why I had to be careful even when I was on the liquid diet. I didn't want to have to go through the withdrawals again. When I have sweets in the house, I'm like Alice in Wonderland. I keep hearing them call to me, saying, "Eat me." :)
I consider myself a potatoholic. Growing up, we had potatoes in some form every single night at dinner. And I thought everyone else did, too. But I know I need to back off. I will definitely be trying this. Thanks for the yummy sounding substitute.
ReplyDeleteNikki, my boys don't know what to do if I don't have potatoes at a meal. So imagine my surprise when my oldest son like my fauxtatoes. Actually, both were on the counter and he grabbed the wrong ones not knowing. After a couple of bites, he said, "Are these your potatoes?" When I told him they were, he simply shrugged his shoulders and kept eating. Perhaps there's hope for him after all.
DeleteYou'll have to let me know what you think, Nikki.
I've had this at restaurants but never made it. Thanks for sharing, Mindy! It's simpler than I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Missy, it's easier than peeling potatoes. :)
DeleteI'm all over this. I love cauliflower and broccoli and broccoli slaw, so they're my go-to low carb snacks. I've never done the blender because I'm too lazy to pull it apart to wash it and I don't mind chunks, but I love the idea of the cream and butter and whipping them, so maybe I'll do the smoothing step and try it! I usually toss the cauliflower or broccoli in a bowl, throw 4-blend cheese on top and nuke it. So boring, but if it's that or ICE CREAM... :) Quick is my secret to not cheating when I'm being careful. Like Jan, once I start being careless, that sugar monster looms and grabs me in a choke-hold. And we short folks don't have much leeway.
ReplyDeleteMindy, I'm so glad you showed us this! I think I'll keep a dish of these in the fridge ready for quick heating. It would keep my hand out of the cookie jar while doing science/cooking lessons with the little peeps!
Ruthy, thanks to you, we HAVE to have broccoli slaw in our fridge at ALL times. And I know what you mean about the blender, although I use mine every day for smoothies. So what I do is make way more than I need so it lasts for a while. Haven't tried freezing, but I don't see why you couldn't.
DeleteSo glad I'm not the only one the sugar monster preys on. I have no doubt that the holidays will be a challenge. But I will survive. When I moved those pants to the back of my closet, I intended for them to stay there. Hmm...perhaps Goodwill could use a donation. That way I'll have nothing to fall back on. ;)
LOL! I get mad at myself when I put weight on because 10 lbs is death to your closet when you're short. And I think of all the good things I could do with that money I'd need to spend on extra clothes, so not having them there as a fall-back is smart, I think. Because then I try to nip the weight gain more quickly. And I've doubled my writing time this fall, so that means double the sitting time and you have to make up for that somehow.... eating smart is a huge part of that, but we want to have fun, too. AND THEN MR. SUGAR MONSTER creeps in!!!!! EEEEEEK!
DeleteMindy, I've found I can cut the sugar WAY down in my pumpkin bread recipe. It has been trial and error but I've almost halved it and want it down more. Another way to increase the sweetness without increasing the sugar is to add a teaspoon of vanilla. Just amazing. Thanks again for the fauxtatoes!
ReplyDeleteWell sure, Julie, then you have room for extra cream cheese icing!!!! :)
DeleteI like the way you think, Ruthy. Though my pumpkin bread is so moist, we just eat it as is.
DeleteJulie, I may have to try that. Gradually, anyway. Gotta keep the fam happy, you know, so heaven forbid I change something too much. ;)