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easy cauliflower puree

Easy Cauliflower Puree

This recipe comes from a few years ago when my family wasn’t eating grains, dairy, sugar and many other delicious things. (This post explains why we were doing that.) Thankfully those days are behind us! But the best thing that happened from that experience was some new and different recipes that I never would have cooked before that time. My kids learned to eat some new things and it opened them up to some new foods I hadn’t really thought about or even attempted to cook.

Easy Cauliflower Puree is my favorite thing to make when I’m scrambling to put dinner on the table. Its about 20 minutes from start to finish. Also, it can be put on subbed by replacing the sweet potatoes on top of the Cottage Pie. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

I will say this: I don’t pretend this is potatoes. We call it cauliflower and they still eat it! Haha! It has a different flavor but it can be seasoned as such.

Sometimes I add other ingredients if we want to mix it up:

1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 TBL butter and 1/2 cup milk

3 chopped slices of bacon and sautéed chopped onion and jalapeños.

Easy Cauliflower Puree

World’s best and easy cauliflower puree. I promise. Of all the recipes I make on a regular basis, I use this one the most.

You will need:

1 large pot to cook in

an immersion blender like this one (or traditional blender)

Ingredients:

cauliflower head (mine was about 9-10 inches across)
1 TBL olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Diagonally chop the core out of each quarter and roughly chop into 2-3 inch pieces. Neatness doesn’t count here!

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Add the oil and cauliflower all in the pot on medium high heat. Stir until the cauliflower stars to brown in a few spots, 3-4 minutes.

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Add the garlic cloves and continue stirring for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper. Turn heat down to medium low and cover. Cook 15-18 minutes, stirring 1 -2 times. Add a splash of broth if it cooks away to quickly.

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When florets are soft and easily mashed with a spoon, turn off heat and blend with immersion blender until smooth. (Either in pot which is easier or spoon into traditional blender.)

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Taste for seasoning.

 

This is what my kids look like after dinner:

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Told ya 😉

Easy Cauliflower Puree
Author: 
Recipe type: side dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Easy Cauliflower Puree is a versatile and easy side dish to complement any meal.
Ingredients
  • cauliflower head (about 9-10 inches diameter)
  • 1 TBL olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1½ cup chicken broth
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut the cauliflower into quarters. Diagonally chop the core out of each quarter and roughly chop into 2-3 inch pieces. Neatness doesn't count here!
  2. Add the oil and cauliflower all in the pot on medium high heat. Stir until the cauliflower stars to brown in a few spots, 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic cloves and continue stirring for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken broth and salt and pepper. Turn heat down to medium low and cover. Cook 15-18 minutes, stirring 1 -2 times. Add a splash of broth if it cooks away to quickly.
  4. When florets are soft and easily mashed with a spoon, turn off heat and blend with immersion blender until smooth. (Either in pot which is easier or spoon into traditional blender.) Taste for seasoning.
  5. Additional stir-in for extra flavor:1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream and ½ cup shredded cheese OR 2TBL butter and ½ cup milk OR 3chopped slices of cooked bacon and sautéed chopped onion and jalapeños.
 

Please let me know what you thought of the Easy Cauliflower Puree! I would love to hear from you!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Time just keeps getting away from me and I can only hold on for the ride! We just sailed through Thanksgiving (from when I started this post!) and Christmas (we traveled) and New Years (friends came in town) and now broaching on March!

This cauliflower pizza recipe is one I’ve made a handful of times. I like to add some herbs and seasonings to the crust, which otherwise is bland. Also, we haven’t topped our pizzas the same way twice. It’s very versatile and easily accommodates a variety of flavors. We like the more traditional toppings, usually some vegetable like bell peppers or mushrooms and a meat like sausage or pepperoni. Although, you could get really creative and change it up to your heart’s desire!

The kids and I ate this cauliflower pizza quite a few times with my husband gone and it was always super easy. The kids love to help pick out the toppings, prepare it, and then eat it! It would be a little too light if all 4 of us were to eat it but I bet it would be perfect with a lot of toppings and a big side salad.

I first got the idea from a friend who used Rachel Ray’s cauliflower pizza recipe. I made just a few changes based on my experiences with making this a handful of times.



Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1 lb cauliflower head
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
salt & pepper

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

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Cut up cauliflower into florets about 1 inch in size. Using a food processor, chop cauliflower until chopped evenly and finely.

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Pour cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl, and cook for five minutes or until tender. Allow to cool and place cauliflower in a paper towel then wrap in towel, and ring out all the excess water so it is completely dry. (Also this towel might have some lingering scents, so do yourself a favor and throw it in the wash, just experience talking here!)

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Back in the bowl, mix egg, spices and cauliflower until well-combined.   On a parchment-lined baking sheet, press out and shape cauliflower dough until it resembles a pizza round. Your hands are really the best tool here. My kids love this part!

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Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove and top with desired toppings and bake in oven for 7 minutes or until cheese and toppings have cooked and melted.

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We have used a variety of kinds of toppings: bell peppers, pepperoni, sausage, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. Anything goes here!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 servings
 
Cauliflower is transformed into a yummy pizza crust for a light, easy dinner.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb cauliflower head
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp basil
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Cut up cauliflower into florets about 1 inch in size. Using a food processor, chop cauliflower until chopped evenly and finely.
  3. Pour cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl, and cook for five minutes or until tender. Allow to cool and place cauliflower in a paper towel then wrap in towel, and ring out all the excess water so it is completely dry.
  4. Back in the bowl, mix egg, spices and cauliflower until well-combined. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, press out cauliflower dough until it resembles a pizza round. Your hands are really the best tool here.
  5. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and top with desired toppings and bake in oven for 7 minutes or until cheese and toppings have cooked and melted.



Please let me know what you thought of the Cauliflower Pizza Crust! I would love to hear from you!