At this time of year, it’s almost impossible to escape Resolution Mania. Gym membership offers clutter your real and virtual inbox. Gone are the pins and images or of cookie plates and cocktails, replaced with beautiful images of salads and juice. Gloriously fit people start to pop up in your sidebar, magazine, and weekly ad trying to sell you that magically sweat-free, perfect-haired workout if you buy their moisture-wicking pullover to run miles and miles in those mountains conveniently located in your backyard.
Comfort is nowhere to be seen. But in the long, cold, and quickly dark days of winter, I want some comfort. After a busy holiday season, I just want to stay in the warmth and the quiet for a moment. To rest and recover from the revelry and get back to my own speed. Comfort can come in many forms, including healthy ones. At the dinner table, instead of the normal, comfortable mashed potatoes, I’ve been comforting myself with roasted mashed cauliflower.
Not only does it look like mashed potatoes, the texture and creaminess is just like the potato version. It’s also just as tasty but without the wave of sleepiness afterwards. Cauliflower is also high in glucosinolates, which can help with inflammation, detox, and digestion. It’s also packed in antioxidants and is richer in vitamins and minerals than potatoes.
Mashed cauliflower is very easy to make as well. Just roast your cauliflower, then add some stock and the cauliflower into a blender and blend until you get the consistency you want. No peeling, boiling, or ricing needed. You can add some creaminess with some grass-fed butter, but a little goes a long way.
This recipe is perfect for a big batch to enjoy for a few meals or with a large table. If you’re cooking for a smaller table, use one medium to large sized cauliflower. You can also season the mash with whatever you like when you make regular roasted cauliflower. Feel free to add heat, maybe some oregano or rosemary, thyme, cumin… the flavor possibilities are endless.
When the Resolution Mania gets to be a bit much for you, sink into some cozy comfort with a warm meal with a side of roasted cauliflower mash and tell the Mania to chill out.
Ingredients
- 2 large cauliflower (over 6” wide), washed with leaves discarded
- 3-4 garlic cloves, unpeeled (add more if you want them garlicky)
- olive oil, for roasting
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1-2 tsp paprika
- 1-2 tsp grass-fed butter or ghee, melted (can be swapped out with coconut oil)
- 1-1 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.
Cut off ¼ inch of the cauliflower stem and cut off any stalks around the bottom. Carefully cut off one floret from the stem at a time until you just have the stem left. Place smaller florets on baking sheets, half or quarter larger florets, then transfer to baking sheets. Cut stalk into ½” pieces and add to baking sheet. Repeat with other head of cauliflower.
Add garlic cloves to pans and arrange cauliflower on the sheet in a single layer and lightly drizzle olive oil over the florets. Evenly sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika over cauliflower and garlic.
Place one sheet on the top rack and one on the bottom. Roast in oven for 10 minutes, rotate the pans, and roast an additional 10-15 minutes until fork tender.
Once out of the oven, peel the garlic. In batches, transfer the cauliflower, garlic, and a splash of vegetable stock into the blender and run until desired consistency is reached.Add as little or as much stock you need to get the consistency you want. Transfer blended mixture into a large mixing bowl as you work through your batches.
If you have a hand/stick blender, add all cauliflower and garlic into mixing bowl and blend. Slowly add in the stock to get the desired consistency.
Once you’ve got the consistency you want and the mash is in a bowl, adjust seasonings to your liking and add in melted butter.
Serve immediately.