Eat Your Veggies: Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

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Let's be real. There's nothing that can replace some good ole' fluffy, creamy mashed potatoes. However, this toasted garlic mashed cauliflower comes pretty damn close and for a minute, you won't even miss the potatoes. This is great as a side dish and goes really well with fish (you could serve the fish directly on top of a little bed of mashed cauliflower). 

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I've always looked at cauliflower as the "white broccoli." Both are cruciferous vegetables that health experts recommend you to eat on a regular basis, as often as 4-5 times a week. Cauliflower is a great detox food in that it contains phytonutrients that help activate detoxification enzymes and regulate their activity. Alright, that's just about enough science I can take for one day. 

Cauliflower:
LOW in saturated fat and cholesterol
HIGH in Vitamin C & K (anti-inflammatory), dietary fiber, and protein

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter
olive oil to toast the garlic
fresh green herbs as garnish (your choice; anything green and sprightly)
Kosher salt

  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place them in a steamer or double boiler. Steam until tender, about 10-12 minutes. You don't want them to be too mushy (if you cook it too long, the cauliflower loses a lot of nutrients), but just fork tender. 
  2. While the cauliflower is steaming, heat a small pan over medium heat with olive oil. Add the minced garlic to the pan and toast to a golden brown. Set aside.
  3. Once the cauliflower is done, dump it into a food processor or blender along with the cream cheese, butter, and toasted garlic. Pulse until smooth. Add salt to taste and serve with some fresh herbs on top.

Tell people they're eating mashed potatoes and I guarantee no one will know that what they're actually eating is cauliflower. I've done this to every person I've made this for and I wait until they're finished to tell them. There is something so satisfying about being able to trick your loved ones into eating something healthy. : )