I know it might sound kind of strange for a 'Real Food' Nutrition Consultant to be writing about 'faux' mashed potatoes, but hear me out!
In my consulting practice I advise people who are struggling with metabolic health issues to choose foods that have a lower impact on their blood sugar. The glycemic index (GI) is a relative measure of how quickly foods digest and impact blood sugar, with 1 being the slowest and 100 being the fastest. Foods with fewer carbohydrates and more fiber, protein and fat content tend to have lower glycemic indexes, which means they reduce your body's insulin response. An improved insulin response can relieve symptoms, help you feel more in control of your eating, and improve your health.
Many processed foods are very high in carbohydrates - especially low fat products that have had the fat removed and replaced by sugar and starch - a double whammy for increasing their rate of digestion. Those products are the real 'faux' food, and I say good riddance to them!
But carbohydrates can be comforting, especially around the holidays when a lot of the traditional foods tend to be high in carbohydrates and hard to resist (in my family stuffing, mashed potatoes, AND rice show up on the Thanksgiving table!).
One thing I help clients do is to find alternatives to foods they love that have a lower impact on their blood sugar. Over time I'll be featuring a number of these in this blog.
So, back to our 'faux' mashed potatoes - no they are not real potatoes, but they are definitely real food, made from cauliflower and white beans.
There are lots of recipes for mashed cauliflower on the internet. Many of them are very good, but they can also have a watery, even stringy, texture because cauliflower doesn't have the starch that potatoes have. This is what makes them a lower carb alternative, popular with the keto crowd, but the mashed texture isn't quite the same.
I've borrowed two ideas and put them together to make my 'faux' potatoes closer in texture to the real thing. Although they are only marginally lower in carbs than real potatoes, the glycemic index is much lower.
Inspired by the book Always Hungry, by David Ludwig and Dawn Ludwig, I added a can of mashed white beans to the mix. From the blog Fifteen Spatulas, I learned the technique of using a kitchen towel to squeeze the excess water out of the steamed cauliflower. Put those two ideas together and the texture is very similar to mashed potatoes (don't tell them, but my kids can't tell the difference!) I also added roasted garlic - because who doesn't love garlic in mashed potatoes?
One half-cup serving contains 19g carb, slightly lower than in a serving of mashed potatoes, as well as triple the fiber and healthy amounts of Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium.
For more ideas on how to make simple changes to your diet and lifestyle to improve your blood sugar response, request a free consultation and learn about my process for working with clients.
Mashed Cauliflower with White Beans and Garlic
Ingredients
1 head garlic
1 can white beans, such as cannellini or great northern
2 large heads cauliflower
3 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To roast the garlic: Cut the top off of the head of garlic so that the tops of the cloves are exposed. Set it on a square of aluminum foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, and scrunch up the sides so that the garlic is enclosed. Bake until the garlic is very soft - start checking at 30 minutes, but it could take up to an hour.
Drain and rinse the beans and place in food processor.
Squeeze the soft garlic out of the individual cloves and add to the beans in the food processor. Process until a smooth mash is formed.
Separate the cauliflower into florets. Steam in about 1 inch of water until it's very soft when pricked with a fork, but before it starts to smell too 'cabbagey.' Timing will vary, depending on the size of the head and the florets. 12-15 minutes is a good place to start.
Remove the cauliflower from the heat and take the lid off the pot so that it stops steaming. Let sit until cool enough to handle, but still hot.
Place the steamed florets in a kitchen towel. Gather the towel around the cauliflower, hold it at the top, and twist over the kitchen sink to squeeze out excess water.
Add the cauliflower to the mashed beans and garlic and puree to desired consistency.
Season with salt, pepper, butter and sour cream.
Variations
Replace the butter with olive oil and omit the sour cream to make these dairy free
Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan or cheddar cheese
Use like mashed potatoes in your favorite casserole recipe
Makes a great topping for Shepherd's Pie