Mashed cauliflower instead of potato

Susie_Q

I'm going to make some mashed cauliflower to go on the side of my steak tonight as I'm trying to get away from starchy carbs. Any tips on how best to do it? Once I cook it should I mash it with a fork and have it chunky or blitz it in a food processor until smooth? I bought some cream to put with it and will season with salt and pepper.

Any tips appreciated, thanks!

Kimia

As far as I know Susie you need to pat it dry after cooking because it gets very runny. I did it myself and wasn't mad about it to be honest. Very lumpy and soggy

foodaholic

I used to eat this all the time when on the Idiot proof diet (kinda like atkins)

they call it faux mash
steam it if you can, then mix in a blender (its less lumpy this way) or mash.
us milk or in IPD it was cream.
grate a bit of fresh nutmeg and serve

it reheats well - so you can make a big batch

Twenty10

I live on this stuff!!

I cook it until soft (10-12mins in a saucepan of water). Then I drain it and put a knob of butter into the saucepan plus salt & pepper and blitz with a hand blender. I don't like to blend it for too long as as the previous poster said it can get a bit runny.

I also make the faux cauliflower rice if I'm having a curry - also very tasty!

Susie_Q

Made it earlier before I got any of your replies and it turned out VERY runny and completely reminiscent of baby food! Put it into the blender while hot with a little cream and blitzed the hell out of it... it was completely smooth and too thin; not very pleasant. Tasted fine but the texture put me off. I'll give it another go during the week but I think I'd just mash it gently with a fork rather than blitz it... I'm far too old to be eating baby food!

Thanks for all the tips. Do people ever put cream cheese in instead of cream?

Magic Monkey

Use the coarsest side of a box grater to grate the raw florets. Simmer them, covered, in milk that doesn't even half cover it, as the cauliflower itself contains a lot of water, so this way will introduce the least amount of moisture into the mix, and prevent it from becoming too thin/runny. They'll naturally release water into the milk and dilute it as it cooks, so less milk means firmer "mash." Correct the seasoning, then add some cream cheese or butter, and blitz.

tk123

I use frozen cauli - microwave until cooked (10 mins in our microwave) then blitz with a hand blender and mix in some butter, cream and season with salt a pepper - delish!

Semele

Twenty10 wrote: »

I live on this stuff!!

I also make the faux cauliflower rice if I'm having a curry - also very tasty!

Do explain how you do this???

Twenty10

You grate the raw cauliflower with the side on the grater that produces bits the size of rice granules. Put the grated cauliflower in a microwavable container with the lid on it, don't add any water to it as the cauliflower has enough in it and microwave for 4 mins (based on a 850W microwave).

Its now ready to eat and is a great substitute for rice when you want a curry, enjoy!

Kimia

I tried it again tonight and it failed again.

I microwaved the florets, pressed them until the water came out, added beautiful cloves of roasted garlic, and butter, and first tried to mash it (it wouldn't mash), and then put it in my food processor and it came out like rice.

I then added milk and grated parmesan and put it on the hob to combine while keeping it warm, and it still turned out bad.

It STILL tastes of manky boiled cauliflower!

What am i doing wrong??

Dutchy

..and the secret ingredient is http://tinypic.com/r/est844/4

Mr Benevolent

I think the actual secret ingredient is potato.

JONJO THE MISER

Confab wrote: »

I think the actual secret ingredient is potato.

And you would be wrong wouldn't you.

cbmonstra

Delighted I came across this thread today!

I'm a potato hater and I never thought of (or heard of) doing mashed up cauliflower...

Can be hard to find alternatives when cooking for others, and it can get kinda boring having rice or pasta all the time.

I'm definitley trying this out, just hope I make it nice... Seems a bit of an art form to get it right, going by the posts here...

What would you think of adding some grated cheese in to it? I know it's probably not the healthiest idea, but that's not something I'd be worried about...

tk123

You can't go wrong with some cheese in it...or better some herby cream cheese

Kimia if it was like rice when you put it in the food processor it sounds like you didn't microwave it for long enough