Hey everyone! If you’re looking for a healthy, flavorful substitute for mashed potatoes, my recipe for spicy creamed carrots and cauliflower is a winner. It has a back-end spicy kick and very few calories. Hello, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian.
Yes, I like mashed potatoes with cream gravy just like the next normal person. I’m a fan of mashed sweet potatoes, too. But my spicy creamed carrots and cauliflower makes a tasty side dish without all the calories. Try it with roast chicken or grilled pork chops. Yum.
One of my 2017 goals is to cook more at home and to try new recipes. Well, I haven’t been home all that much, but the past few days I have been. And I’m making up for the bad (delicious) food I recently enjoyed at the Jonquil Festival, most of which was served on a stick.
Why does everything served on a stick taste heavenly? (I have a theory that dips well beyond the grease involved, but that’s for another time.)
But seriously, every day can’t be served up on a stick. It’s all about balancing those deep fried foods with healthy options. And if we want to stay healthy for the long haul, the good-for-us must outweigh the fair food.
You are what you eat. Remember?
I for one, don’t want to look like a corn dog.
Spicy Creamed Carrots and Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1/2 head of cauliflower cored and cut into thin steaks
- 5 carrots peeled and cut into two-inch slices
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- cooking oil I used Riceland Rice Bran Oil
- cayenne
- ground ginger
- sea salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Line a roasting pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking oil. Spread cauliflower and carrots onto foil and drizzle with rice bran oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until softened (but not too soft).
- While veggies are roasting, sauté onion in a medium stockpot in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3-4 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and stir to coat.
- Add vegetable broth and roasted vegetables to onion mixture. Add cayenne to taste. (I'm heavy handed because I like the spice.) Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Using immersion blender, cream mixture. (Cauliflower is stubborn to cream, so keep at it.) Serve warm.
Riceland!
This isn’t a sponsored post, but as part of a rice farming family I’m a big fan of Riceland products. I keep a bottle of Riceland’s rice bran oil beside my stovetop and cook with it often. Rice bran oil doesn’t add a heavy flavor to whatever I’m cooking, and it has a high heat point. Made not only in the USA but in Arkansas.
More about the recipe…
Roasting the cauliflower and carrots gives the vegetables a slight caramelized flavor.
With only two cups of vegetable broth, the mixture will be thick (like mashed potatoes). But, this recipe doubles as a soup—simply add more vegetable broth to change the consistency.
Look at all the color. It’s spring in a bowl, y’all, and filled with so much power. Carrots and cauliflower = high fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, cancer fighting crusaders.
Serve with a cup of Riceland jasmine rice for a more hearty meal. Add chicken on top and you’ve got yourself one of those meals in a bowl.
Bowl from Miller’s Mud Mill, Dumas Arkansas
COLON CANCER AWARENESS.
And now for a public service announcement. March is Colon Cancer Awareness month. My Daddy died of colon cancer at age 57. My sister and I are at high risk, so we are diligent about getting colonoscopies. I had my sixth one yesterday. The test is no big deal. The prep is of the devil but way better than colon cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends those with average risk begin screening at age 50. If you have a family history of colon cancer, your risk is higher. (I started my screenings in my 30s.) Discuss it with your doctor because I’m not one. There’s a handy chart and information HERE. Colon cancer is highly preventable if caught early.
Tip: Most orange fruits and vegetables fight cancer.
That’s it! Have a healthy and productive Friday.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Creamed carrots + cauliflower = high fiber, cancer fighting crusaders! @AmericanCancer @RicelandFoods #coloncancer[/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
Bruce Springsteen, Friday on My Mind
I love Rice Bran Oil, too, and because my dad had colon cancer, I’ve also been having regular colonoscopies for a long time. You are so right. The prep’s the devil. I tell myself if I eat carefully during the week, that Sunday fried chicken isn’t quite so bad. I’m tempted to roast cauliflower and carrots and stop there because of the consistency and spicy factors.