A great alternative to starchy, higher calorie, and high carb potatoes can be cauliflower. But it is not very fun to eat, that is unless you rice or mash it. Then it becomes a great alternative to use in meals as a replacement to rice or mashed potatoes. Same texture but a lot less calories.
In addition to reducing calorie intake and lowering overall carb intake, this cauliflower recipe is a great way to get your vegetables in without really noticing it. Works great with most eating plans, whether it is clean eating, paleo, low carb, or keto (you can add lots of butter).
Items you will need:
- Cauliflower – 1 or 2 heads, you can use already cut cauliflower but it is less expensive to buy the heads. Avoid frozen.
- Large Pan with Lid or Steamer
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Mixing Bowl
- Masher or Mixer
- Salt and Pepper
- Butter
First take a head of cauliflower like such and lay it on the cutting board. Sharpen your knife and cut out the core or middle of the cauliflower. Start a large pan of water to boil.
Cut off any core pieces and remove any leaves until you have several smaller cauliflower heads. If you do not have a cutting board you can cut the cauliflower head right in the bag (this is what I do). Once you have the smaller pieces you can rinse them.
Add the smaller cauliflower pieces into your pan with boiling water. Make sure to remove any leaves and core pieces.
Once water is boiling add the lid, leaving a gap for the steam to escape and steam for 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender but not overdone.
Remove from the stove and drain all the water from the pan. Grab your mixing bowl.
Add the drained cauliflower to the mixing bowl, put in the butter, salt and pepper or other spices and ingredients you want to use. The sky is the limit here and you can flavor or spice your cauliflower however you want. I prefer it easy and tasty this way.
Use a masher or mixer to blend the cauliflower. I like the masher pictured above because it gives the cauliflower a more riced texture instead of a mashed one. Mash the cauliflower until you get the desired consistency, then use a spoon to make sure all the butter and seasoning is mixed.
Ahh the finished version goes great with any protein. Or is a great little snack all by itself. Low in calories and tastes great. What else could you want from a vegetable the easily gets overlooked!