If you’re busy planning a rerun of yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner – but – you’ve wound up with a gap on the menu where the potatoes or veggie is supposed to be, Mukilteo cook Patricia Morrison may have come up with the perfect filler-inner. It’s also diet-wise – always an added bonus – but it doesn’t necessarily have to be, according to your own personal diet or no-diet whims.
“I read your column weekly,” she writes, “but haven’t sent you a recipe for a year. I’ve been doing Atkins to lose weight, like so many others. Forty-five sounds late, but I’m enthused with some new healthy, delicious recipes. Here is one that’s a real winner for either low-fat or low-carb preferences.
“Try this with cauliflower from our local fields, when you can. ‘Field fresh’ always has an unmatched special taste that reminds us of the extra thanks we owe to our local farmers. Their numbers dwindle each year, so let’s support their harvests in each season. Now that the holidays are beginning, try this mashed cauliflower, and you’ll not feel deprived of good old mashed potatoes, nor will you gain weight or feel guilty for enjoying the feast. Try this now, and look forward to a satisfying, slimmer holiday season!”
Mashed cauliflower
1head cauliflower, leaves and hard core removed, broken into chunks and rinsed
Salt
1/3-1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3-1/2cup sour cream (any fat content you prefer)
1-2tablespoons mayonnaise (any fat content)
Bacon bits (optional)
Steam cauliflower until tender when tested with a thin knife blade; transfer to a large bowl. Mash into small chunks with a hand masher. Add a light sprinkle of salt, then add the cheese and toss evenly. Add sour cream and mayonnaise and toss to mix thoroughly. Finished cauliflower should be thick and chunky-smooth. If desired, fold in bacon bits and transfer to serving bowl. Or transfer cauliflower to bowl, then sprinkle with bacon bits.
Note: Do not use electric mixer to make this dish. Try to choose a large cauliflower – ingredients are approximate because cauliflower sizes vary. Do not overcook cauliflower – overcooked cauliflower becomes mushy and watery. It is important to blend in and melt the Parmesan cheese when the cauliflower is hot before the wet ingredients are added.
The next Forum will appear in Monday’s Time Out section.
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