Mashed Cauliflower

Sometimes I get an idea in my head and can't get it out. I've seen mashed cauliflower on menus and online all the time, but I never really paid much attention to it. Then I decided I needed to make some. So never having tried it before or read a recipe on how to make it, I just set out to make some. What could go wrong? (Turns out nothing.)

I started by taking about half a package of FROZEN cauliflower and put it in a pot with about 1/4 cup of chicken broth. I covered the pan and let it steam for a good 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower was super soft.

Then I took my immersion blender to the cauliflower mixture and buzzed it up. I might have pureed it a bit too much this time, but live and learn. I then added a splash of 1% milk to the cauliflower to thin it out. It might look like a lot, but that's probably 2 tablespoons of milk.

At the very end I sprinkled in a little grated parmesan cheese for a little flavor since I found the mashed cauliflower needing a little something extra. This did just the trick. 

Brown Sugar Nutmeg Green Beans

Last weekend we had a nice dinner with my grandmother. In addition to a dessert, I was tasked with bringing a green veggie. I decided to pull out my trusty green bean recipe.

To start, I sautéed a massive bag of green beans in a little butter. This picture is deceiving, this pile of green beans fed eight people.

I sauté them at a fairly medium high temperature to get a nice soft char on the outside without turning them into mush. I like a little crips to them.

Once cooked, I sprinkled on a little bit of brown sugar. This is just about a tablespoon of light brown sugar for enough green beans to serve eight people, so don't overdo it. I mixed it all together and sprinkled in a little nutmeg as well. You basically want to cook this enough to melt the sugar onto the beans but not enough to caramelize it. Once the sugar is melted, you're done.

Serve up and enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

One of my go-to side dishes is my roasted cauliflower. It's super easy to make and I can use ingredients I always have on hand - frozen cauliflower, a little oil and some salt and spices.

I will often use fresh cauliflower when I have it on hand, but I found out a few years ago that I can easily make this with frozen cauliflower and it tastes just as good. As a result, you will almost always find several bags of cauliflower in my freezer at any given point in time. 

All I do to start is toss the cauliflower in a little bit of oil and some salt and pepper. I stuck with my trusted spicy garlic salt that I use on practically everything. I used a vegetable oil here instead of olive oil because we're cooking at about 425*, so we need an oil that can withstand being cooked at a high temperature for a long period of time. I have used olive oil, and it works, you just need to cook at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time. 

I roast the cauliflower for about 35-45 minutes at 425*, turning it every now and then. Some of the really tiny heads of cauliflower might burn slightly during this process, but just ignore those and eat the rest. 

Sometimes, if I'm feeling up for it, I'll sprinkle on a little bit of of parmesan cheese during the last five minutes of cooking. I didn't this time, but it's a nice way to mix things up. 

I served the cauliflower this time around with a piece of swordfish that I seared in a pan with a little seasoning and squeezed lemon on top. This was a simple yet delicious spring-like dinner.