“Don’t tell them it’s cauliflower,” a guest at our Thanksgiving dinner advised. “They’ll never know they’re not mashed potatoes!”
Why cauliflower instead of potatoes?
Cauliflower has a lower glycemic index (so it impacts blood sugar less), is lower in carbs at 5 grams versus the potato’s whopping 67 grams per 100 g serving. Cauliflower is also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and considered a very good sourceof Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese. Meanwhile, the humble potato is only considered a goodsource of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Potassium.
More nutrition information at Self Nutrition Data cauliflower and potatoes.
Even outed as cauliflower, the Thanksgiving mash disappeared down to the last scraping. Yes, this simple recipe is that good.Try it. You may never eat mashed potatoes again.
On a health note, you might be wondering about the dairy in here: butter and half and half. I have written elsewhere about why low fat diets have generally been shown to have much worse outcomes than low carbohydrate diets. As for the dairy, quite a few studies in top medical journals have found an inverserelationship between consumption of dairy and type II diabetes, BMI, and associated diseases. That is, the more dairy people consumed, the lower the BMI and lower the risk of type II and other obesity-related diseases including coronary disease. So if you want to substitute heart healthy olive oil, you certainly could, but you don’t have to!
Easy Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:
- Head of cauliflower
- 1 TBS butter, or to taste
- A splash of half and half, or to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Cut up the cauliflower into small pieces so it steams faster and is easier to blend.
- Steam until quite soft.
- Transfer to a big bowl and using an immersion blender, puree the cauliflower.
- Add butter, half and half, salt and pepper and blend until thoroughly mixed.
Enjoy!
