Mashed Cauliflower with Mascarpone
If you like mashed potatoes, you just might fall head over heels in love with this delicious stand-in.
Mashed Cauliflower with Mascarpone
2016-01-20 17:18:28
Serves 6
Cauliflower remains the darling of low-carb and paleo eaters who long for starchy potatoes. But it's also a versatile vegetable in its own right. Adding undeniably decadent mascarpone cheese turns a dieter's second-choice staple into an easy, glycemic-load-friendly, no-really-you-won't-believe-it masterpiece. Decadent in its own right, the rich, silky mouthfeel of this dish makes it an amazing side.
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed, and cut into florets
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup milk*, more as needed, up to 1.5 cups
- Finishing salt (Maldon, kosher, or other salt of your choosing)
Instructions
- Steam cauliflower until easily pierced with a fork (in a stovetop steamer or the microwave). Drain.
- Place cauliflower, butter, salt, cheese, and 1/4 cup of the milk into a food processor and blend until smooth, about 30-60 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more milk slowly in between further pulses to achieve desired consistency (thick for mashed potato stand-in; thinner to act more like a polenta or grits base for other dishes). Taste for salt balance and add more, followed by another few pulses in the processor, if needed.
- Serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of finishing salt and any additional
Notes
- - The additions to this recipe are endless. An oven roasted head of garlic, peeled, makes an amazing flavor add during the blending. Pesto works well, as do many fresh herbs. Toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds make a great garnish for the finished dish, and a pat of butter or a swirl of infused oil both adds flavor and makes it beautiful.
- - Roasting the cauliflower, instead of steaming, is another fun way to do this, and adds a beautiful flavor - but it also changes the color of the dish. (Worth it, in my book!)
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