Creamy Cauliflower (fake potato) Salad

Confession time - I have never really liked potato salad.  I'll pause to let the gasps die down and this tidbit settle in.  It's not that I don't like the taste, it's more a texture thing with boiled potatoes for me.  Sometimes the store bought varieties are okay, but let's face it, who knows what's in those!

Last weekend when we fired up the bbq, the thought of potato salad came back.  My husband has been eyeing it up in the grocery store, and now that we're grilling again I know it's high on his cravings list.  Luckily, I was recently chatting with a  mommy friend about kids and veggies, and she mentioned that the only way she could get her family to eat cauliflower was via a mock potato salad recipe.  And with that, the seed was planted and the hunt for a delicious recipe was on!

I must say, the first few recipes I came across did not appeal to me.  Lots of ingredients and they looked too complex to make while distracted by kidlets running amuck.  Then, I found the recipe below at Buns in My Oven, and had to give it a try.   

Creamy Cauliflower (fake potato) Salad

1 head cauliflower
2 hard boiled eggs
1/3 c mayo
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp relish
2 tsp finely chopped onions
1 tsp dill
1 tsp chives
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1.  Prepare cauliflower by washing and cutting into bite sized (or slightly smaller) pieces.
2.  Steam until tender crisp, then refrigerate. 
3.  Combine chopped hard boiled eggs and cauliflower.
4.  Combine remaining ingredients and fold into cauliflower and egg mixture.
5.  Chill and serve.

What drew me to this recipe was the comment that it tastes like potato salad, but has a slightly different texture.  Perfect for me, and I can confirm 100% true!  I love this salad, and there were no tweaks required from the original recipe (other than that I used dried dill instead of fresh because it was what I had on hand).  The best part is that I feel good about feeding it to my family.  It's a great side for a sandwich, a burger, or to take on a picnic.  And, it's a great way to get a little more cauliflower into your diet.  Enjoy, and happy grilling! 

Simply Delicious - Cauliflower Soup for Everyone!

I've been learning a bit more about cauliflower recently.  I'd always written it off due to its colour - I mean how could a white vegetable contain much in the way of nutrients?  Well, cauliflower is really back in vogue these days.  And, it turns out that it's super healthy!  It's a great source of vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K, as well as fibre.

Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of plain old boiled or steamed cauliflower, and adding cheese sauce seems to sort of defeat the purpose.  So, after talking to a friend about an amazing cauliflower soup she threw together for her baby, I decided to see if I could come up with my own version.  It was so easy and simple, I forgot to even take a picture of it before it was all gobbled up or frozen into baby cubes.

Here's the recipe, should you choose to give it a whirl -

Cauliflower Carrot Soup

1 medium head of cauliflower
2 large carrots
1 medium onion
2 medium cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1.  Melt butter in a large pot, and add chopped onion and crushed garlic.  Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent.
2.  Add stock, chopped carrots, and cauliflower flowerets.  Bring to a boil.
3.  Cook covered, over medium heat until cauliflower is fall-apart cooked.
4.  Blend until smooth, adding water if too thick.
5.  Serve and enjoy!

Everyone in my family enjoyed this soup, especially Little Smiling Man. I'd even say that it's his favourite food so far!  It was versatile and delicious, and so very easy to make.  This one will definitely reappear on our table to help us all enjoy more cauliflower!