A funny thing has been happening in my kitchen lately. I’ve been cooking more than ever (and absolutely loving the opportunity to spend more time in my kitchen and avoid so much restaurant food!). I’ve been really loading up on the veggies, and enjoying everything I’ve been making. However … I haven’t really had any creative moments where I thought “wow, I just have to share this with my readers … it’s so creative that I know they’ll love it!” That’s not a bad thing, since I’ve still been enjoying my food, but it makes it hard to drum up a super interesting Foodie Friday post! 
So, I’ve decided that for Fridays when I don’t have a specific food topic (did you see last week’s post on red meat?) and don’t have a super-creative recipe, I’ll post some of my go-to favorites, as well as a few other bloggers’ recipes that I’ve tried and enjoyed lately. Hope you’re OK with the plan!
On St. Patrick’s Day, I shared my “Luck O’ The Irish Green Mashed ‘Potatoes,’” which were a peppery, less creamy (and green!) version of my go-to favorite. If you haven’t tried mashed cauliflower, I’m begging you to give it a try. It really is a delicious and nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes (cauliflower has tons of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, and so many other nutrients and antioxidants), and gets by even the pickiest of eaters (my Dad is a fan, which is saying a lot!). It’s far easier than making “real” mashed potatoes, and you can easily have it on the table in less than 15 minutes. So what are you waiting for? Go for it!
Just Like Mom’s Chunky Mashed Cauliflower
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: blender steam side gluten-free nut-free vegetarian vegan vegetables cauliflower
Ingredients (2 servings)
- 2 cups packed, chopped cauliflower
- 1 large parsnip (mine was just under 150g)
- 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plain soy milk, regular milk, or other milk substitute
- 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Roughly chop cauliflower and parsnip, and place in large microwave-safe bowl, covered with plastic wrap (or place in steamer).
Microwave for 8 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree. I prefer my mashed cauliflower with a few chunks, but feel free to puree until silky smooth if you like it that way!
Each serving contains 1g fat, 22g carbs, 6g protein
Other Great Recipes I’ve Tried Lately
There are several other recipes I’ve tried lately that are worth highlighting. I hope you’ll check out these recipes and give some of them a try!
- The Little Honey Bee’s Apple Chicken Burgers (I used lean ground turkey and it worked great! Loved having these burgers plain, over spiraled sweet potatoes, and on an eggplant bun!)
- The Big Man’s World’s Caramelized Onion and Eggplant Dip (I used 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast and 4 Tbsp. unsweetened plain soy milk instead of the yogurt, and it worked great … this is an excellent sandwich spread!)
- Angela Liv’s Crockpot Lentil Soup (I added celery, reduced to 1 cup of dry red lentils, and took out the sweet potato. This made a great meal alone or a side with added veggies and protein!)
- The Real Life RD’s Basic Vegan Banana Bread (I removed the vanilla due to my intolerances, halved the recipe to make 12 smaller muffins, and subbed half the flour for peanut flour. Using peanut flour is a great way to amp up the protein content! I get mine from iHerb.com, and you can use the promo code QSS908 for a discount on your first order!)
(I forgot a real picture of these – sorry!) - The Lean Green Bean’s Quinoa Breakfast Bars (I added shredded zucchini, doubled the cinnamon, eliminated the zucchini, and used half the recommended amount of agave … and forgot a picture after they were cooked!!)
- Sprint2TheTable’s Creamy (Raw) Red Pepper Soup (I added a small chunk of silken tofu, because as you can see above, I can never just stick to a recipe! This is SUCH a fast way to whip up a delicious and healthy meal!)
So tell me in the comments … Have you ever tried mashed cauliflower? Which of these recipes looks best to you?
This is so cool! I am so with you Megan, I love creating meals at home instead of eating out. you feel so content as you know you are eating good food, and saving money! I do a pretty similar method of loading veggies and then adding different ways of eating it! So cool you have been trying out many others recipes, as I have seen a lot of them and thought they were good too!
Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
Thanks, Tina! Yes, eating out can be fun sometimes, but in general I feel so much better when I make my own meals :). I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!
Meg, honestly- thank you so much for trying out my recipes- It really means alot! (and my mum was thrilled but then asked me if it rose because you used yeast…..lol!)
I need to try that chunky mashed cauliflower recipe- I’ve never tried a parsnip before (heard they are great in chip form!)
PS Forgot to mention, CONGRATS for the success of the cauliflower rice recipe for myplate community- I can attest it was amazing 😉
Haha, your mom’s comment made me laugh, Arman! Don’t worry, no yeast rising :). And thank you for the great recipe! Like I said to Laura, I’ll try almost anything you post – your recipes never fail to impress me, and your patties are some of my favorite go-to meals! YES, parsnips are great as fries (‘chips’), and thank you for the congrats on the cauliflower fried rice contest! I bought some fun treats with the prize that will be showing up in a giveaway sometime soon!
These look great! I have been in a baking mood lately so I am thinking about trying out the banana bread this weekend!
Did you try the muffins, Lisa? They were so easy and delicious!
I want to try all of these!!! I’ve never actually made cauliflower mash myself, but I have a friend who makes it an invites me to dinner. 🙂
Thanks for braving the soup! I love adding tofu to make them creamier and add protein. I did that with a tomato basil a while ago… must do more of it!
A friend who makes healthy dishes is the best of both worlds – socialization and good food. Love it! Thank you for the delicious soup recipe. You know I’ll try (almost) anything of yours … and yes, I realize I said I’d try the beefy oats if you had a successful first week. Here’s the deal … within the next 2 days, I’m trying the TVP version. And THEN the beef version, eventually. Baby steps!
Ok. I will allow that. 😉
Amy’s apple chicken burgers are on my menu to make! I love the idea of using eggplant as the bun, too! You can add your chunky cauliflower mash to my recipes to make this week! That sounds fabulous!
I hope you enjoy them, Morganne! Eggplant buns are fun and tasty, but I have to admit it didn’t really hold up like a “real” bun. My husband was laughing at me trying to hold it up!
I will be trying the red pepper soup and the crockpot lentil soup-yum!
I hope you enjoy them, Deborah! For what it’s worth, I ended up freezing a few servings of the lentil soup and it freezes very well!
Yum! We have tried mashed cauliflower and Phil did not know!! It had bacon and cheese in it, but it’s one small step for him 🙂
That’s AWESOME, Christina! Way to go for trying new things and healthifying recipes for even the pickiest eaters :).
All of these look amazing to me! So I am pinning this page so I can have easy access to all of the recipes! 🙂
I’m so glad, Becky! Let me know if you enjoy any of them!
Shout out in favor of the banana muffins – they are delicious. Grilled fish and mashed cauliflower tonight for dinner. 🙂
Thanks for taste-testing the banana muffins and making a delicious Easter brunch, Mom!
Looks like you’ve been eating some good stuff!! I love all the veggies! I’ve only tried mashed cauliflower once and I wasn’t a huge fan (I think potatoes are just too precious to me to try to make a copycat version of them – also why I think I don’t like sweet potato fries), but I recently did mashed potatoes/parsnips and they were amazing! I might give the cauliflower another try!
Did you just say you don’t like sweet potato fries?!? Blasphemy!!!! I’m pretty sure those might be my favorite healthy-but-not-actually-that-healthy (depending on where you get them!) food. I’m glad you liked your mashed potatoes and parsnips, though!
These all look delicious Megan! 🙂
Thanks, Sara! Hope you try some of them!