Paleo Cauliflower Mashed Fauxtatoes

2013-02-02
There are many versions of cauliflower mashed potatoes out there, so let me start by thanking you for your consideration of mine!  Ultimately, this is a “choose your own adventure” type of dish (remember those books?!). 🙂  What I hope to provide you with is the technique of how to make super creamy cauliflower mash that no one would ever believe is cauliflower!  Seriously.  These came out super creamy, yet were light on the palate and fat content!  There is a little bacon fat, but only from two slices!

You could cut down on the fat content of the entire dish by using a slotted spoon to gather the shallots, garlic and bacon from the skillet.  That way, you will leave some of the bacon grease behind.  Also, using SoDelicious Unsweetened Coconut milk is a lot lighter than regular unsweetened coconut milk from the can.  However, it is only a 1/4 cup, so either choice will not make the dish too fattening overall.  The “potatoes” will taste decadent without the guilt!

As I said, you can add whatever flavors you would like to compliment the flavors of your overall meal.  I plan on posting my faux potato adventures of the future, so get ready!  I hope to one day make a batch for my Dad, who would normally shy away from cauliflower in this form.  He likes his cauliflower raw (and plain!) and his mashed potatoes from Idaho i.e. potatoes.  I’ll have to have my Mom make these, and see if she can achieve the swap!  It’s not so much that I’m trying to get my Dad away from potatoes, as it is that I am so confident in the texture and flavor of this dish.  If you are craving mashed potatoes but don’t want to stray from your diet… these will satisfy your palate and food memory.

I promise that I am not endorsed by any company, especially not Vitamix!  I simply mention it as an important tool that I have come to rely on in my own kitchen.  That is not to say that there are not other high quality products out there that can achieve similar results!  I just love how it helps me with so many types of food, and it takes so much guess work out of the quality of the dishes I produce.  All I hope is that you have a blender or food processor of some kind that makes your life easier!  My Mom always talks about the strength of women from her Mom’s generation… using their own powerful arms to mix things.  I love working out, but thank you technology!

Serve these with any meal!  Taylor and I enjoyed them with our Paleo Flank Steak recipe.  Steak and faux-tatoes = awesome.

Ingredients

  • 1 large (or 2 sm) head of cauliflower, rinsed, stems removed and cut into florets
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 large shallot (or 2 small), diced
  • 2 pieces of bacon, diced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 ground black pepper
  • optional: fresh or dried chives, for garnish

Instructions

  • 1. Bring a large pot of water (about 3/4 of the way full) to a boil
  • 2. Add florets, and when water comes up to a boil, cap and set timer for 5-6 minutes
  • 3. When timer goes off, remove from heat, and pour cauliflower into a strainer to drain water, then set aside
  • 4. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium/med-high heat, and start to render fat from bacon pieces (2-3 minutes)
  • 5. Add shallots, and cook until shallots have caramelized and softened, and bacon is crispy, then turn off heat and stir in garlic
  • 6. Set mixture aside to cool for a few minutes
  • 7. Add coconut milk, sea salt, black pepper, shallot mixture and cauliflower to blender
  • 8. Blend on high until mixture is smooth like mashed potatoes
  • 9. Optional: sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs for garnish
  • 10. Enjoy!