Mashed Cauliflower

My family loves these "mashed potatoes" and my husband says he actually likes them better than "real" mashed potatoes. Even people that are not normally big fans of  cauliflower usually like these!  

I first learned of mashing cauliflower from my South Beach Diet cookbook.  The recipe in there calls for Fat free half and half and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray, but I prefer to use "real" ingredients without high fructose corn syrup and other additives.  (If you prefer the SB Diet version, substitute 1 oz. "I can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray for the butter and 1 oz. Fat Free Half and Half for regular Half and Half.) They are very good either way!  

1 head of cauliflower

3-4 Tablespoons butter

3-4 Tablespoons half and half

Salt 

Pepper

Remove all leaves and the stem on the head of cauliflower. (I knock the stem part on the divider in my double sink and the entire stem will come off of the head.)

Cut cauliflower into florets.

Place florets in salted boiling water and cook until fork tender; about 10 minutes.

Remove from burner and drain cauliflower in colander until well-drained.

Pour cauliflower florets into bowl of food processor.  

Pulse and grind cauliflower until all pieces are mashed well; stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Gradually add butter and half and half to mashed cauliflower while pulsing -- until mixture is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour mashed cauliflower back into your pan. Keep warm on Low heat until ready to serve.

Breakfast Yogurt Parfait

I discovered Uncle Sam cereal while on The South Beach Diet. Prior to this, I had never seen this cereal in the grocery store, although it has been around some 100  years!  It has 10 grams of fiber in a serving, but does not taste like "cardboard" as do so many high fiber cereals, and I have actually grown to really like it.  (It also has flax seeds in it.)

This makes a great little breakfast "on the run" and is really quite filling! (You could substitute your favorite granola or other cereal in the place of Uncle Sam, if you prefer.)

1 container vanilla yogurt

1 cup sliced strawberries,blueberries or mixture

1/2 cup Uncle Sam cereal 

Split container of yogurt between 2 dessert dishes.  

Add 1/2 cup mixed berries to each dish and sprinkle 1/4 cup cereal over top of each dish.

Serves 2