[RECIPE] Swap these garlic cauliflower mashed potatoes for starchy veggies

Cauliflower is an incredibly versatile cruciferous vegetable. In grain-free recipes, it can be used as a substitute for rice. When you simply toss it in the oven with some coconut oil, it roasts up beautifully. And if you’re avoiding nightshades, like potatoes, or would like to increase the number of non-starchy vegetables on your plate, mashed cauliflower is the way to go.

Ingredients:

• 1 lg. head cauliflower
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground or microplaned nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper
• sea salt (Celtic)

Instructions:

An hour before you begin preparing the cauliflower, start roasting the garlic:

1. To roast garlic, preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Cut off enough of the tail end of the garlic to expose all of the individual cloves. (The tail end of the garlic is the part without roots, which shoots up as the green of the plant.)

3. Place garlic on parchment paper face down into 1 tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil. Make sure you have enough parchment paper to wrap around garlic and secure.

4. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 25 minutes. Garlic cloves should be golden brown and slide easily out of skins.

Next, prepare the cauliflower mash:

1. Put a large stockpot on the stove and fill it with a couple of inches of water. Set into place a steamer insert.

2. Set heat to high.

3. Trim cauliflower florets and stem. Cut into medium-sized, uniform pieces.

4. Once the water is boiling, place all of the cauliflower in the stockpot. Sprinkle well with salt. Begin steaming.

5. Steam until soft, roughly 10 minutes.

6. Drain cauliflower. Remove garlic cloves from skins.

7. Place steamed cauliflower in a food processer with garlic, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg.

8. Process until smooth. Taste and check for seasoning.

Enjoy your cauliflower mashed potatoes served up with a hearty main dish, like our slow-roasted chicken breasts recipe.