Cauliflower is the best friend of the low-carb dieter
Although meat, eggs, and cheese are all staples of a low-carb diet, they aren’t the only foods you eat when you are on a healthy low-carb lifestyle. We all know you can consume delicious and nutritious foods like nuts, some low-glycemic fruits, and green leafy as well as non-starchy vegetables. The king of the non-starchy veggies above all others has got to be cauliflower. It’s so versatile in the kitchen and saves you a TON of carbs on your plate!
In Episode 52 of “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube,” I’m pleased to share my version of the classic mashed cauliflower recipe that everyone who has been on low-carb undoubtedly has tried. I even have tried to make Better-Than-Potato Cauliflower Pancakes previously that give you yet another option for cauliflower. And “ricing” your cauliflower is becoming more and more popular as well.
Watch me as I show you step-by-step how to make mashed cauliflower Jimmy-styled in today’s video:
Everybody has their own mashed cauliflower recipe and some have suggested adding a little cream cheese instead of the heavy whipping cream. Also, I’ve heard from a couple of people who said you can steam the cauliflower to soften it up rather than boiling it which will prevent the water from being soaked into the cauliflower. GREAT IDEAS! Check out my low-carb blogging friend Kent Altena share his mashed “faux-tatoes” recipe for even more ideas on this classic low-carb dish.
Special THANKS to my lovely wife Christine for manning the camera for this video. She does such an amazing job and actually enjoys doing it, too. Watch all of our previous YouTube videos and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube videos if you like what you see. Send us your feedback about the show anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for supporting “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube.”
For those of you who are not afraid, use a pressure cooker to save time.
A few days ago, I watched an episode of “Guy’s Big Bite” on Food Network, and he did a version of “mashed cauliflower” that some people might be interested in. He talked about people being “carb sensitive these days”, which I thought was awesome! (He cooked it in milk first, which could be done with cream instead.)
I really enjoyed this Jimmy. The thing is it took me around double the time to see it….is it me or what? It kept pausing and the litlle round loading cirlce kept popping up every 2-4 seconds. I’m a bit new to watching YouTube.
THANKS Tinker! Usually when there are pauses, it means you are using up too much memory. Try closing other files before watching and that should be remedied. THANK YOU again for watching!
–Jimmy
I loved mashed cauliflower and the versatility of cauliflower in general. My best tip for those that think cauliflower has some kind of off taste is to boil the cauliflower twice, pouring off the first water and refilling with fresh water for the second boil. It neutralizes the taste a bit more. I’ll also after mashing put mine back on a slow burner and let some of the excess water evaporate. I also always cook mine with a clove of garlic cut up in the water. It mashes in nicely and gives a great flavor. I guess everyone has their favorite additions and ways of making it. Faux TatoCakes is one I haven’t mastered to perfection, but I try on occassion.
I am fairly new to the low carb life and am inspired by this episode on smashed cauliflower! My husband is, like, addicted to mashed potatoes so consequently, as good of a cook that he is, when he eats mashed potaties, I have been eating them too!
Now I have an alternative to try and I bet with that bacon thrown into the cauliflower dish, I can get him to eat this version from time to time, too. Thanks a lot, Jimmy!
The way I cook cauli for mash is to cut the florets from the core (I leave them pretty big since they break down so easily later)…rinse in a colander to remove any dirt…shake well to remove all trace of water…then transfer to a round cake pan (I used to put a piece of parchment in there, but I don’t bother anymore)…then the key: seal WELL with foil, go around the top with your fingers and press tightly…Bake in a pre-heated 400 or 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes…that’s it. No paper towels needed.
Once cooled I add similar taste enhancers as yours.
This method also works great for “potato” salad…instead of mashing, when cooled I toss in chopped up hard-boiled egg, mayo (Hellmann’s), mustard (Spicy brown – which isn’t spicy at all), dill relish (Mt. Olive – the best), a little red wine vinegar, dried basil, chopped bacon, and salt & pepper…insanely delicious.
One last thing…try using cooked spaghetti squash instead of cauli for mash once in awhile…it’s much milder in flavor and really, really good when processed with butter, parmesan, garlic powder, and salt.