I'm eating leftovers for lunch

[fancytalk]

And because I am doing that, I thought that I would post a semi-recipe.

A while back someone suggested creamed cauliflower as a replacement for mash potatoes. So I attempted this using cauliflower as my potato replacement in the way I would normally make mashed potatoes. Yeah, no. This did not work. So, the entire deal was scrapped as a we-tried-it-and-did-not-like-it. Fast forward to an episode of Top Chef where one of the chefs makes creamed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. And the judging chef even comments that they don't taste like cauliflower. Cream instead of milk is the secret she says.

Wednesday night I decide to test this out. The recipe on the website calls for simmering the cauliflower and 2 potatoes (yukon golds) in 2 cups of cream for 35 minutes. OK, 2 cups of cream is not going to work for me and I didn't have potatoes. Besides, it's a mashed potato substitute. I ended up simmering my cauliflower in vegetable stock and splash of milk. Put it in the food processor and added a splash of cream. They were a bit runny, I needed to add more salt but they tasted like mashed potatoes. Note to self for future reference - drain cauliflower well, simmer in less stock, test consistency before adding cream.

We decided that the ultimate test would be creamed cauliflower with meatloaf. Don't knock meatloaf because I make damn good meatloaf. I bought more cauliflower, simmered it as before with less stock and draining well. I tossed in the few leftovers from the night before with the new cauliflower. Voila! Perfect consistency and doggone tasty too. And my meatloaf was heavenly as well with homemade ketchup coating the top.

I'm going to go finish my lunch now.

Comments

[thunder-pants.livejournal.com]

Ooh, it actually sounds good. I like the puree veggies idea. I shall try that next time I am attempting meatloaf. Thanks for that - I am adding it to memories - like I did your crepes. :D

[yesimthegirl.livejournal.com]

What's funny is that the pureed vegges started because Ronette doesn't like onions - flavor yes, but not eating them. So I started blitzing them to liquid and adding them. And then it got worse because our friend Carol doesn't like vegetables. She'll eat them if she can't see them. Oh, and I should mention that if you use too much spinach, you might have slightly green tinted loaf. But yeah, anything that I make with ground beef or turkey ends up with vegetables pureed and mixed in now. It helps the turkey stay moist and I get a serving of veggies.

[thunder-pants.livejournal.com]

I love it! Joe doesn't like seeing veggies in things either - then he will say it tastes too veggie like. hha! But if he can't see them... maybe that will work. I'll try it. And when we have kids, we can do that to them and they'll be tricked into eating veggies. haha!