Lifestyle
9 Mashed Cauliflower Recipes with a Twist Your Children Will Love
You may have heard that cauliflower makes an excellent alternative for some usual high calorie, unhealthy foods. You can replace all sorts of carby foods with something that has more nutrients and fewer calories. The likes of potatoes, pasta, and rice can also be switched out for cauliflower recipes.
The problem is getting your children to eat the food. Kids love the likes of pasta and potatoes. They’re homely, filling, and fun. When they hear of vegetables like cauliflower, they immediately get this sense of the food is boring. They don’t want healthy foods if they can help it!
Well, it’s time to change their minds. With these cauliflower recipes with a twist, you’ll be able to create something that the whole family will love. Try out these nine mashed cauliflower recipes today.
Herb and Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower
Let’s start with something simple but delicious. When you mix your cauliflower with a range of herbs and garlic, you will find your kids think they’re eating something else. In fact, this mashed recipe can even look and taste like mashed potato, at least when it comes to texture.
If you don’t want to trick your kids, you can get them to help make the dish. They’re more likely to eat something that they’ve helped to create.
Ingredients:
2tsp oil of choice
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
5 cups of cauliflower florets
1 carrot, chopped
½ a cup of water
¼ cup of butter
2tsp garlic powder
1tbsp rosemary
1tbsp parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Over medium heat, add the oil to a saucepan and then fry the garlic and onions until browned
Add the carrot and cauliflower with the water and bring to a boil, before reducing the heat and simmering while covered for 10-12 minutes
If the water evaporates before all the vegetables are tender, add a little extra water and then drain off excess water
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mash
Add in the butter and herbs and mash further until it is all combined
If you want to make the cooking process easier, you can put everything into a blender. Pulse the mixture to avoid pureeing too much. There’s nothing worse than mash that looks like soup, even when it’s mashed cauliflower!
Cheesy Cauliflower Mash
You’ve likely made cheesy mash potatoes now and then. Well, it’s time to make a slight substitution. Instead of potatoes, you’re making mash cauliflower with the cheese. You can use vegan cheese with other vegan substitutes if you’d like.
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head, broken into pieces
2tbsp heavy cream
1tbsp butter
2oz cheese of choice, grated
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Place the cauliflower, cream, and butter in a bowl suitable for the microwave and heat uncovered for 6 minutes
Stir the mixture and then put back into the microwave for another 6 minutes
Remove and mash, adding the cheese part way through to combine the mixture
Season with the salt and black pepper, adding more butter or cream if necessary
Instead of cream, you can use some milk alternatives or vegan yogurt. The cream just helps to create a creamier texture to make the cauliflower more like potatoes.
If you want to speed up the cooking process, used a blender instead of a masher.
Roasted Cauliflower Mashed Soup
What about getting your cauliflower in a mashed soup form? This isn’t something you’ve likely thought about before, but it is a quick twist that your children will adore. You’ll get plenty of requests for more!
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head, chopped into pieces
2tbsp oil of choice
3tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped finely
3 1/2tbsp flour
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 cups of milk
1 can of chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup of heavy cream
1tsp parsley
1/4tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4tsp sugar
4oz cheese, grated
1oz parmesan cheese, grated
Method:
Preheat the oven to 425F
Drizzle the oil on a baking try and cover evenly, before baking for 25 minutes
Meanwhile, fry the onions for about 5 minutes in the melted butter
Add the flour and stir, while cooking for 60 seconds
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds
Pour the milk in slowly, whisking well, followed by the cream and broth
Add in the herbs, bay leaf, sugar, and cauliflower, seasoning with some salt and black pepper according to taste
Allow to boil and then reduce the heat to a low
You can blend the soup if you’d like, but this taste delicious with the cauliflower mashed into the liquid instead. You can reduce the liquid amounts if you’d like.
Add the cheese at the end, into the mashed cauliflower.
Tortilla Alternatives with Cauliflower
Tortilla wraps are delicious, but they’re not suitable for a few diets. They don’t work with a gluten free or paleo diet. But you don’t want to miss out, do you? There are plenty of people looking for alternatives, and this is one of them. These cauliflower tortilla wraps are perfect, and your kids will barely tell the difference!
Ingredients:
Three-quarters of a cauliflower head, grated into rice like forms
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375F and line your baking sheet with some parchment paper
To make the rice, simply grate the florets and then place in the microwave for a couple of minutes
Squeeze out any excess liquid as much as possible and put into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients
Mix everything together and then spread out your tortilla wraps on the baking tray
Bake for 10 minutes, before flipping carefully and baking for another 5-7 minutes
You can then brown your tortilla wraps over medium heat to give a crispier texture
Try not to skip the browning stage of this recipe. This is the way that you can make the wraps look just like normal tortillas, so there aren’t any awkward questions from the kids at school.
Tater Tots Made with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
Image Source: www.positivehealthwellness.com
Tortilla wraps aren’t the only foods that you can create from cauliflower. There are plenty of other alternatives that will create gluten free, paleo friendly recipes for all your kids’ favorites. These tater tots are a firm favorite in many gluten-free, carb free homes.
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head, chopped into florets
2tbsp heavy cream
2tbsp butter
Half a cup of cheese of choice, grated
4 egg whites
Oil for frying
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place the cauliflower florets with the butter in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes
Pour into a larger bowl and add the cheese, mashing until lumpy – a little like oatmeal
Season with the salt and black pepper, before adding to the fridge for 30+ minutes
Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks and then fold a third of them into the cauliflower, just to lighten up the mixture
Fold the rest of the eggs into the cauliflower to combine
Chill for another 30+ minutes to ensure the cauliflower tots will hold their shape
Add some oil to the inside of a pastry bag and then feed in the cauliflower mixture, squeezing out into tater tot shapes
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly brown and puffy
Add to a frying pan, making your tots golden brown and slightly crispy
You can skip the frying step if you’d like, but it’s best not to. The kids will notice the difference if you decide not to fry their alternative tots. Serve the tots right away, so they’re still hot.
Pizza Crust with a Cauliflower Twist
How about a pizza crust alternative? Mashed cauliflower can be used for this, too. Make the crust and then get the kids to help choose the pizza toppings. You’ll have a much healthier pizza alternative than ever before, and will hardly notice the difference!
Ingredients:
1 cup of cauliflower, turned into cauliflower rice
2 egg whites
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1tsp oregano and garlic, crushed
1/3 cup of pizza sauce
Pizza toppings and Parmesan cheese if you want
Method:
Preheat your oven to 450F and rice your cauliflower
Spray your pizza pan with some spray or line with parchment paper
Combine the riced cauliflower with the egg whites, cheese, garlic, and oregano in a bowl
Press the mixture out into the pan, making it into a circle
Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and then bake for 12-15 minutes
Remove from the oven and then make your pizza up with your sauce and desired toppings, before grilling for about a minute
You will find that the pizza crust falls apart easily. It’s not as good as dough for eating with your hands, and you will want some cutlery. You really won’t mind when you taste just how delicious your paleo friendly pizza base is!
Cauliflower Strawberry Cheesecake
Image Source: www.positivehealthwellness.com
This delicious cauliflower alternative will bring a healthy dessert to your kitchen. You may raise your eyebrows at first for this recipe. Who would have ever thought about putting the cauliflower into a strawberry cheesecake? Well, this makes your dessert both gluten free and paleo friendly, while your kids just think you’ve lost the plot on healthy eating.
Ingredients for the Crust:
150g of coconut, shredded
100g of hazelnuts, ground
35g of coconut flour
¼ cup of coconut oil, melted
2tbsp honey, melted
1tbsp blackstrap molasses
1tsp salt
1/2tsp ginger, ground
1/2tsp cinnamon, ground
Ingredients for the filling:
300g cashew pieces, soaked overnight
1 cup of coconut milk
500g cauliflower, grated
1cup of honey, melted
¾ cup of coconut oil
1tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon, ground
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
1tbsp vanilla extract
6 eggs
Zest and juice of a lemon
¼ cup of tapioca flour
Garnishings:
5 cups of strawberries
1tbsp gelatin (grassfed)
1 cup of water
2tbsp maple syrup/honey
Pinch of salt
1/2tsp vanilla extract
Method for the Crust:
Line a springform pan with parchment paper, greasing the side with some ghee or lard
Add all the crust ingredients to a blender and process until it looks like sand
Press the crushed ingredients into the pan and up the side and place in the fridge to set
Method for the Filling:
Preheat your oven to 350F and grate your cauliflower
Place the cauliflower into a bowl for the microwave and cover lightly with some plastic wrap
Microwave for 5 minutes and squeeze out the excess liquid
Blend the coconut milk and cashew pieces in a blender until creamy
Add in the cauliflower and process again until smooth
Add the honey, oil, salt, vinegar, cinnamon, and extract into the blender and process until combined
Now you can add the lemon juice and zest, eggs one at a time, and tapioca flour, blending it all together
Pull the crust out of the fridge and top it with the cauliflower mixture
Cover with foil and put in the oven for 15 minutes, before reducing the temp to 250F and baking for 90 minutes
Turn off the oven and open the door a little, leaving the dish in the oven for 60 minutes
You’ll be able to handle the tin with bare hands after this, so you can then run a knife around the rim and place it in the fridge for 6+ hours
Method for the Garnishing:
In half a cup of water, add the gelatin and let sit to soak up as much water as possible
Add a cup of strawberries to a pan with the other half a cup of water and boil for 5 minutes
Strain the strawberries over the gelatin, allowing the gelatin to dissolve completely
Stir in the extract, syrup/honey, and salt and let the mixture cool and start setting
Arrange the other strawberries over your cake and then apply the strawberry gelatin mixture over the top
Place the cake back in the fridge for at least an hour before serving
You’ll be surprised at just how delicious the cheesecake is, without being full of empty calories. Your family will certainly want more the next time they have a sweet craving.
Super Simple Cauliflower Mash
Let’s go back to a couple of cauliflower mash recipes. These are creamy without the usual heavy cream. They’ll serve eight and can be made in minutes.
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head, chopped into florets
3tbsp milk
1tbsp butter
2tbsp sour cream
1/4tsp garlic salt
Black pepper, to taste
Chives, to taste
Method:
Add the cauliflower florets and core to a cup of boiling water and cover, cooking for 12-15 minutes
Drain the water and dry out the cauliflower as much as possible
Transfer to a bowl and add in the butter, sour cream, milk, salt, and black pepper
Mash until it looks just like mashed potatoes and then add in the chives and combine
You can serve this instead of mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner. This is also a delicious side dish if you still want your potatoes and tends to replace mashed carrots and turnips.
20-Minute Cauliflower Mash
This recipe will be done within 20 minutes. Once everything is prepared, it’s the quickest recipe on the whole list!
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
40g cream cheese
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1tbsp green onions, sliced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add in the cauliflower florets
Cook for about 10 minutes, until tender
Drain off the cauliflower and return the cauliflower to the empty pot and cover with a lid off the heat, allowing to stand for a couple of minutes
Pour the cauliflower into a bowl and add in the cream cheese with some seasoning
Mash the cauliflower as you would with a potato masher to make it look like potatoes
Add in the nutmeg and then top with the green onions
Like the previous recipe, this can completely replace your mashed potatoes if you’d like. It can also be used as an extra side dish. It’s extremely popular for babies who are eating their first foods.
It’s Time to Try Cauliflower Mash
You’ll be surprised at the ways you can use cauliflower in your meals. It is an excellent alternative to mashed potatoes, but you can also use it in desserts and as bread alternatives.
While the recipes are mashed cauliflower, you can speed up the processes by blending in a food processor if you’d like. This is a perfect option when you need to create the meals in minutes.
