One of my favorite things about this time of year is the prevalence of cauliflower at our local markets. We usually roast it or make cauliflower curry, but recently we've been eating it another way. Um...do you know how delicious mashed cauliflower is? I certainly didn't. Truthfully, it doesn't sound all that appealing. It sounds like something parents try and trick their children into eating. If the Man and I hadn't been South Beachin' it the last couple of weeks I never would have given it a second glance....but craving a hearty side dish I decided to give it a try. Oh...it is so flipping yummy. I love that it has the creaminess of mashed potatoes but a depth of flavor that is all cauliflower. I'm gonna go ahead and admit that I put bookoos of butter and milk....but I do it when I make mashed potatoes as well, so sue me. You could get adventurous and try new additions like curry powder or garlic. I'm not exactly sure where I first saw the recipe, but if you google "mashed cauliflower" all sorts of recipes come up, most of them very similar to one another. Generally you just make it the way you would make mashed potatoes, although I busted out the Cuisinart, and for 'taters I usually hand mix/mash.
Mashed Cauliflower
2 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets
4 cups water
5 tablespoons of butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup of milk or cream
salt and pepper to taste
Bring the water to boil in a medium soup pot. Add a bit of salt and the cauliflower. Turn down to medium heat and continue to simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Transfer to mixer or mixing bowl. Add butter and 1/4 cup of milk/cream. Mash or mix until smooth, adding additional liquid if necessary. If you want less of the fat, you can always replace the milk/cream with the water that remains in the pot after boiling the cauliflower. Salt and pepper to taste. Tonight I threw a bit of mild cheddar in at the end...and it was good.
My usual disclaimer applies: This makes a lot of mash. We like to roll leftovers into new and exciting things around here...plus it means less time in the kitchen midday if I can just grab something from the fridge for lunch and not worry about cooking from scratch. If you want less, just use one head of cauliflower and half the rest of the ingredients. :)
