Cauli-Mash

As I move into a potato-free world, I have had some real adjustments to make. In my family, potatoes are a beloved food group all by themselves. On Thanksgiving, after pie, I would go back and have more mashed potatoes.

When I realized that, since tomatoes and peppers both bother me, then their much-loved cousin probably needed to go too, I struggled. This was a tough one for me. I very much needed some good solutions to fill that gap.

White sweet potatoes have stepped in, and their help is much appreciated. It's a little odd to have bites of sweet in savory dishes, but I'll take that gladly over not eating those things at all.

I'd heard of people using cauliflower as a mashed potato substitute, but I was never motivated to try it until I had to kiss potatoes good-bye. As it turns out, making a cauliflower mash is much, much faster than doing mashed potatoes, and I like it quite a lot.

The real seal of success was when my hubby tried it, and found it enjoyable. Maybe not so much the first time (I had accidentally used a little vanilla-flavored alternative milk, which made them a little odd.) Even with that, he thought they weren't bad. The second time, without the subtle hint of vanilla, he liked them even better.

So, here is how I make Cauli-Mash
(which is quicker than saying Cauliflower-based Alternative to Mashed Potatoes) ;)

Cauli-Mash
1 head of cauliflower
water
salt ~ I start with about a half-teaspoon, and add more if needed
"butter"-
         I use Earth Balance soy-free stick + a little Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening
       ~ maybe 3 Tablespoons Earth Balance and a teaspoon or so of Spectrum
        **it has occurred to me that Earth Balance does have pea protein, so not completely
           free of the nightshade family. Maybe a mix of butter-flavored coconut oil and Spectrum
            will work? I'll try that next time and share the results. 
if needed, a little alternative milk-
         I use Coconut Dream unsweetened original shelf-stable coconut milk
 
Wash and trim the cauliflower, removing all the leaves and the heavy base, and trimming off any questionable bits from the top. I also cut up into the base, removing a lot of the central core, so it will cook more quickly and evenly.

Put the whole head in a pot, with an inch or two of water. Cover, bring to a boil, turn down slightly and simmer for about 15 minutes, until a paring knife will poke into it pretty easily. Drain the water off.

I put my cooked cauliflower on a cutting board (so I don't burn my hands), break it into chunks and put them into the food processor. I pulse it a few times, add salt, then start adding my chosen fats. I start with a couple of tablespoons of Earth Balance and a teaspoon of Spectrum, then add more if needed. I pulse it until it's nice and smooth. If the processor seems to be laboring, I add some coconut milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it starts to work well. Taste, and adjust the buttery-salty-creamy balance to your liking.

I really like this by itself, but it's also quite good with sauce-y things over it, such as the vinegar sauce of my  quick-and-easy Chicken Adobo, or the lemony sauce of Chicken Piccata (that's what we had for dinner tonight- yum!)

*for those who can have it, some garlic would probably be a tasty addition, maybe simmering a clove or two along with the cauliflower and pureeing it all together.