September
6
Creamy Cauliflower
Creamy Cauliflower
Type: Main
Prep time:
Cooking time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- 2 small, or 1 large cauliflower (4.2 g of net carbs per 100g)
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, about a teaspoon each (1 g of carbs per tsp)
- ¼ c full-fat cream cheese (2-4g of net carbs – check your label)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- You’ll need a pot (preferably a heavy one) with a lid, large enough to hold the cauliflower, and a food processor.
- Cut the leaves from two small or one large cauliflower. I find this is easiest if the head is cut in quarters, from the base.
- Wash and drain the quarters, then chop into chunks and place in a heavy pot with about ½ inch (1 cm) of water, depending on how well your pot lid fits.
- Peel the 2 cloves of garlic and throw them in the pot, too.
- If I weren’t counting carbs, I’d add more garlic, but a teaspoon has nearly a gram of carbs.
- The garlic becomes mellow and sweet with cooking, providing subtle depth of flavour.
- If you want a carb count, weigh the cauliflower without the leaves before cooking, and calculate the total number of carbs.
- For example: if the cauliflower weighs 1 lb or 454 g, calculate its carbs: 4.2 g/ 100 x454g = 19 g of carbs
- My cream cheese container lists 1 carb per tablespoon, and there are 4 T in a quarter cup.
- Add 2g of carbs for the garlic, for a total of 25 carbs in the whole recipe.
- For a portion count: Measure the puree by weight on a scale, or by volume (e.g. in a 4-cup measuring cup), and divide by the number of servings.
- If you have 4 cups of puree, that’s 8 half-cup servings, so 25 divided by 8 is 3.1 carbs per half-cup serving.
- With the lid on, steam over medium heat for 15 to 20 min., till a paring knife pokes into a floret without any resistance.
- Drain well, tossing the cauliflower to help any water find its way out.
- Return the cauliflower to the pot, leaving it uncovered and using the residual heat in the pot to evaporate as much water as possible.
- A heavy pot is helpful, as it holds the heat better for this stage.
- I place the pot back on the burner of my gas stove, where the heated grate also helps to keep the pot warm.
- Use your judgement, or a heat diffuser, if you are cooking on an electric element.
- These efforts to eliminate as much water as possible is important, or you’ll have cauliflower soup, instead of puree.
- After a few minutes, or longer if it suits your schedule, proceed.
- Transfer the cauliflower and garlic to the bowl of a food processor, and puree, scraping down the sides once or twice.
- Add ½tsp of salt or to taste, and a quarter cup of cream cheese.
- Process to mix.
- Turn out into a serving bowl, or covered dish.
- Refrigerate leftovers – this reheats well in oven, on the stove, or in the microwave.
- Makes a nice side for a roast chicken, or a stewed dish, such as Hungarian goulash.