Creamy Cauliflower-Artichoke Mash
Cauliflower mash copy sm
Holiday's are among us and that means lots of food. One dish I've been excited about since I was a small child is mashed potatoes. During Thanksgiving I would return for seconds and sometimes thirds of the creamy, buttery, fluffy mass of goodness until I could eat no more. Once I became vegetarian, I just replaced the turkey with more mashed potatoes and continued my affair.
The reality is mashed potatoes are not a healthy side dish. The fat from the butter and milk combine with the potatoes and it's not easily digestible, this means the food sits in your intestines and ferments, causing discomfort, gas and constipation. The p
Potatoes themselves are high in carbs and starch causing your blood sugar to spike. This explains the addictive characteristic and the sluggish feeling after the apex of the spike.
The measure of how quickly your blood sugar spikes after consuming a specific food is the Glycemic Index. Potatoes have the highest glycemic index of any food at 98. White Sugar is at 60 in comparison.
Cauliflower offers a surprisingly similar tasty alternative and when mashed with butter or olive oil and garlic it proves a rivaling competitor to mashed potatoes and it equally addictive. Cauliflower has more Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium & folate making it nutrient rich and since it has a glycemic index of only 15, your blood sugar won’t be affected.
I spruced up my mash by adding artichokes, lemon, and thyme and it is definitely worthy of gracing a holiday meal
Ingredients
1 head organic cauliflower
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 can artichoke hearts
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/8 c fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh thyme
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp butter (optional)
Directions
Marinate artichoke hearts in chopped garlic, lemon juice & olive oil
Steam cauliflower until soft
While cauliflower is steaming, saute artichoke mixture for a few minutes until garlic is soft and fragrant
Add cauliflower, artichoke mixture, olive oil, butter (if using), lemon juice & fresh thyme to food processor and blend until smooth
Add cauliflower water (and butter if using) to reach desired consistency
Add salt & pepper to taste
Serve in place of traditional mashed potatoes.
Mashed Cauliflower