Carb-Free Cauliflower Mash

Where does your mind go to when I say mashed potatoes?

Delicious? Creamy? Steak? The perfect side dish?

Is this reaction immediately followed by thoughts of guilt? Despair? An image of a white, sugary, carby, calorie bomb?

Okay, so maybe your thoughts about mashed potatoes aren’t as dramatic as mine, but most can agree that mashed potatoes definitely are not the best nutritional bang for your buck. But fear not – there are better ways to enjoy mashed potatoes.

And one of those ways is by not including any potatoes at all (dun dun DUN!)

Today, I will teach you how to make the easiest and most delicious cauliflower puree ever!

This recipe is my go-to side dish for anything from family dinners, to classy dinner parties, to cooking for one (with tons of leftovers). It packs a nutritious punch, it contains no carbs, and is definitely a quick crowd pleaser. Try these for your dinner tonight, and you will experience the power of the ‘flower!

(note: No Regina, butter is not a carb)

Carb-Free Cauliflower Mash  

1 head of cauliflower, separated into florettes

1-2 tbsp of butter or coconut oil

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp garlic powder

Pepper, to taste

Chives, for topping

Steam cauliflower until tender (about 10-15 minutes). A knife should easily slide through the cauliflower when done. Pour cauliflower into a food processor or blender with the butter, salt, garlic powder, and pepper and blend until smooth. Serve and be praised by everyone you know.

This is probably one of the easiest recipes we’ve ever posted, and one of my personal favourites! Make this for your family and I swear they will all be cauliflower converts too!

Until next time Foodies,

Erica and Andie

Sweet Potato Pudding

As a little kid, I was never a huge fan of chocolate pudding. That hasn’t changed, and I can’t even recall the last time I had one of those little plastic pudding cups. I guess I’ve always just seen pudding as unfortunately…gloopy, for lack of a better word.

Based on my pudding aversion, I wasn’t initially intrigued when I came across a vegan chocolate pudding recipe on the Fo Reals Life blog. The pictures aren’t the most enticing for me either (it’s hard to make pudding look cute), but when I saw the ingredients, I knew I had to give it a try.

See, this pudding recipe is different, because the star of the show is our lovable, starchy friend: the sweet potato.

You may be thinking, but I don’t want to eat sweet potato pudding – that sounds weird. If you’ve read this blog before, however, you may recall that we like to make sneakily healthy desserts with wacky ingredients – like chickpea cookie dough dip, egg white oatmeal, and banana ice cream. As I’ve said before, you might as well be adventurous and try a crazy recipe, because you never know when it will become your new favourite!

I made the original recipe from the Fo Reals Life blog, but I think it might be a bit too “potato-y” for some people’s tastes. With that challenge at hand, I’ve made a few other variations for you to try – see which one you like best!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding: 3 Ways!

Version 1: Original Sweet Potato Pudding

(recipe from Fo Reals Life, with small adaptations)

1 cup of sweet potato, cooked and mashed (skin can be on or off – I left it on)

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Sweetener, to taste (I used pure stevia powder; you can also try pitted dates or maple syrup, but be mindful that these will change the consistency of the pudding)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or a food processor until smooth; add additional milk for consistency as necessary. Chill in the fridge until cold.

Version 2: Sweet Potato & Greek Yogurt Pudding

1 cup of sweet potato, cooked and mashed (skin can be on or off – I left it on)

½-3/4 cup of plain, 0% Greek yogurt

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

Sweetener, to taste (I used pure stevia powder; you can also try pitted dates or maple syrup, but be mindful that these will change the consistency of the pudding.)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or a food processor until smooth; add additional milk for consistency as necessary. Chill in the fridge until cold. You may want to add additional sweetener to taste, as the Greek yogurt will yield a tangy taste.

Version 3: Sweet Potato & Banana Pudding

1 cup of sweet potato, cooked and mashed (skin can be on or off – I left it on)

1 medium banana, coined

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Sweetener, to taste (I used pure stevia powder; you can also try pitted dates or maple syrup, but be mindful that these will change the consistency of the pudding)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or a food processor until smooth; add additional milk for consistency as necessary. Chill in the fridge until cold.

The final verdict? I think the banana version was my favourite, because it added a nice extra sweetness to the pudding and took away some of the “potato-y” texture as well. I think that I especially like this recipe because it is a lot thicker like the chickpea cookie dough dip recipe, and not at all like the storebought pudding cups I’m not so fond of!

Are you brave enough to try potato pudding? You might just love it! 😀

Until next time,

Andie & Erica