Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Cheesy Cauliflower Puree


So I have tried cauliflower as "mashed potatoes" a few times now and have never been that impressed. I always used a potato masher after they were boiled and the consistency always felt weird. I decided to try it today with my food processor since I had it taken out for a few other recipes I was making( God forbid I take it out for one dish.) Again, as I mentioned yesterday, I am lazy.

I decided to lace these with some goat cheese because it is one of my favorite soft cheeses and it gives such a nice flavor to anything you put it in. I happen to be fond of recipes where you literally boil something, throw it in a food processor with a few other ingredients and Bam- perfect side dish!I served this with my cilantro shrimp, but feel free to substitute it for any mashed potatoes you would serve or if you wanted to just eat it on its own.

If you have never tried this before I really think you should try it! The cauliflower gets such a silky texture in the food processor and is fairly bland so it can take on whatever flavor you want to give it. Change it up to what you like. Here are some awesome combinations I just thought up in about 1 minute:
  • Salsa & cheddar cheese
  • Brie & sliced pears on top
  • Chopped jalapenos & Cream cheese ( holy crap jalapeno popper!)
  • Mozzarella and tomato sauce on top
 The possibilities are endless kids! Dream up something awesome and make it! I decided on garlic, goat cheese,and Greek yogurt. I think crumbled bacon would have been an ideal topping on this also if I didn't serve it with shrimp.

 Ingredients:
  • 1/2 lb cauliflower florets, chopped (2 2/3 cups)
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth ( or use water)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk or creme
  • 1 teaspoon plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons goat cheese ( or more of course)

 Directions:

1. Simmer cauliflower, garlic, broth, and salt in a small saucepan, covered, until cauliflower is very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Purée mixture with milk, goat cheese and yogurt in a food processor until smooth

7 comments:

  1. I seriously love eating cauliflower like this. The addition of goat cheese probably kicks this up even more. Yum!

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    1. I now may be slightly obsessed with it. I am going to try different flavor combos. The jalapeno popper is my fav!

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  2. This looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing! Buzzed ya!

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  3. How much goat cheese did you add in approximately?

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    1. I would say about 2 tablespoons. You can always add more though. It is so good!

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  4. Mmm...I've made a version of these when my daughter was still just eating pureed foods. I made them very plain, and then when I tasted them I gussied them up with a little salt and butter and they were awesome. The goat cheese idea? AWESOME! I love adding goat cheese to everything and this would take these over the top.

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  5. Like you, I've never liked the texture of mashed cauliflower. I'll give the food processor idea a try. Thanks.

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