Mashed Cauliflower

Every now and again I try to lower my carbs for a week or two.  A low carb week always seems to line itself up post-holiday.  The past few weeks we celebrated my husband's birthday, my daughter's birthday, Halloween and my birthday.  All of the cakes and sweets can add up and now I'm feeling like its a good time to do a low carb week in preparation for Thanksgiving where I will again stuff myself with heavenly carbs.  (I'm dreaming of my mom's pumpkin pie already!)  The leftover Halloween candy is stored safely in my OKRA bag and now its time to move on to mashed cauliflower.

Mashed Cauliflower is a perfect low carb recipe because it sort of tricks your mind into thinking you are enjoying mashed POTATOES ... mmmm.  There's bunches of recipes you can find online for these.  I tried a few different recipes and wasn't all that impressed so I came up with my own.  I've used this as a side dish for grilled chicken & steak as well as a mock "shrimp & grits" recipe (replaced the grits with the mashed cauliflower).  Enjoy!

1/2 head of cauliflower
1 oz cream cheese
2 tbs butter or margarine
1/2 tsp Johnny's garlic seasoning*
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
dash of salt & pepper

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and steam with a small amount of water in the microwave for 5-6 minutes or until it is soft. Drain the water and place the steamed cauliflower in a food processor.  Add the cream cheese, butter, parmesan and seasoning.  Process on high speed for about 2 minutes or until it turns into a smooth creamy texture (You can use a hand mixer as well but I think the texture comes out nicer/creamier with the food processor).  Serve immediately.  You can also make this ahead of time, refrigerate in a container and simply reheat in the microwave when ready to serve.  Makes 3-4 servings.  

*This seasoning is awesome!!!  It makes the BEST shrimp scampi ever! I order mine online @ Johnny's Garlic Seasoning.  I believe Costco sells it too. I also found a link to make your own Johnny's seasoning (haven't tried it though).  Make your own