Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

Pick a beautiful head of cauliflower

Pick a beautiful head of cauliflower

Remove all outer leaves and anything green

Remove all outer leaves and anything green

Boil these up

Boil these up

The cauliflower craze

Cauliflower has really gotten popular these days. There is cauliflower pizza sold everywhere, even in restaurants. I personally do not like it made into a pizza dough.

However, when it is made to resemble mashed potatoes, it is magically unbelievable. Think about it, the potato does not have taste, no more than cauliflower has. I experimented and came up with my version.

Give it a try and trust me in saying that it will replace your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, for sure.

After peaks are browned....

After peaks are browned....

Mock Mashed potatoes

1 large head of white cauliflower, trimmed into small pieces

2 Tbsp sour cream or cream cheese

1/4 cup real butter

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth (use as needed)

Salt/white pepper to taste

Grated cheese (optional)

Boil cauliflower in salted water  until very tender. Drain well. Place in large bowl add remaining ingredients and blend with blender or  immersion blender to resemble mashed potatoes. Add broth a little at a time to thin out as much as you desire.

Don't serve with lumps. That's the dead giveaway that it's cauliflower. 

Place in oven proof casserole dish. Before serving, place casserole of mashed cauliflower into broiler for 1-2 minutes until you see brown peaks. 

Careful not to burn!

Comments

18.08.2019 02:29

Anthe

Hi Gianna. Do you leave ANY of the stalks
or cit them off before boiling? I’m definitely trying!

18.08.2019 14:35

Jan Conte

I just added pictures of the cauliflower steps. Good luck with the recipe.

18.08.2019 14:28

Jan Conte

Hi Anthem, I remove the whole core, then break up the cauliflower into smaller pieces and then boil.

08.08.2019 22:46

Vinni

Definitely trying this

09.08.2019 00:25

Jan Conte

That's great! It is delicious and much healthier....
Thanks for your comment!



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.