Mashed Cauliflower instead of Mashed Potatoes

November 26th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I have mentioned my mashed cauliflower many times before, but have never posted the recipe for you guys. Well, it seems to be perfected, so here you go!

Everyone seems to love it, even my brother, Danny, who doesn’t like too many vegetables. And, it is a great healthy and light alternative to mashed potatoes. Especially, for those who want to eat more vegetables and a few less carbohydrates.

Mashed Cauliflower

Makes 4 large servings or 6 medium servings.

Ingredients:

  • 3, 12 oz. (36 oz. total) packages of frozen cauliflower (the frozen kind seems to get a little softer for mashing), thawed
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2-3 tsp. minced garlic (or about 4 fresh cloves, minced)
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley (or fresh)
  • 1 tsp. ground rosemary
  • 4 Tbsp. light cream cheese or reduced fat
  • 1 Tbsp. real butter or Earth Balance
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (sometimes I taste it, and end up adding more)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, steam your thawed cauliflower for about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook your onions and garlic in the olive oil on medium-low until caramelized a golden brown.
  3. Add your herbs and seasonings to the onion mixture.
  4. When the cauliflower seems soft enough to mash, empty the water from the pot, and put the cauliflower back in that pot over the warm stove-top. Add your onion mixture, cream cheese, parmesan, and butter to the warm cauliflower. Mash with a potato masher (works best) or large serving utensil until it becomes smoother. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Taste and see how you like it. At this point, I may add additional herbs or spices, or another pinch of parmesan. You can check your consistency as well. I don’t mind mine chunkier, but others may like it smoother.

You can see that my recipe comes out more yellow in color because I use caramelized onions. You could omit them, and try using some dried onion flakes instead or more onion powder to get a whiter color like a potato. But, I love onions!

I also tried to snazz-up my dining table with some holiday decor.

Picture didn’t come out so great this time, but you get the idea. Used white lights behind the drapes, and used leftover Christmas tree branches in the centerpiece.

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Dress Up Dining Space with Plates

February 13th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Healthy Living | Kitchen - (0 Comments)

Since I was moving all last week, this weekend I worked on decorating the apartment. I had saw all these ideas for using plates on the wall for decoration, and decided it would be a great way to add a splash of color to the boring white apartment walls.
 Here is how to do this project–it is pretty easy!

  1. Collect plates from different stores like World Market, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, Pier 1, and Target. And feel free to get some plastic plates because they are lightweight and don’t look any different from the ceramic plates when up on the wall. You can also try etsy for some unique plate finds. Keep in mind a color theme. It doesn’t matter if the plates will match perfectly.
  2. Order these plate hangers from amazon. They glue to the back of your plates and add a hook for the wall. You can not see the adhesive or the hook, and they are very sturdy.
  3. Pick up some 3M Command adhesiveor mounting squares or strips. These can be used for any plastic plates or very small/lightweight plates you have. 3 squares should hold most of the lightweight plates on the wall. I cut some of the mounts to fit the backs of the plates better.
  4. Line up your plates on the floor to decide how you will arrange them on the wall. I took a few pictures to remind myself and decide what I like best.
  5. When you are ready to arrange on wall: Measure where the center of the wall is, and start with the center/middle plate first. Then, build outward, stepping back each time to check your work.

Here is a close-up! I still have to move that white plate closer to the others…

Also check out apartment therapy where I found my inspiration.

I figure that the decor is important for my dining area if I want to try to eat more at the table!

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Kitchen Table Makeover

January 25th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Miscellaneous - (2 Comments)

So, this is a totally non-nutrition related post. But, I felt it worthy enough to share. I was tired of eating at a boring looking table and chairs. The chairs are wicker, and didn’t look stylish at all.

BEFORE:

Sorry for the bad picture. It’s from 2 Christmases ago.

Not very inviting to come eat dinner at that table. In fact, we barely eat at the table. As a side note: about 93% of Americans eat in front of the TV which is a contributor to weight gain. So, part of me figured if I made a pretty new table it would be inviting to come eat our meals there. Mostly, I just wanted a new craft project.

AFTER:

There is still one chair in the corner that I was working on.

I spent about 1.5 days working on this. The table and chairs originally cost me $60 from craigslist, and the supplies to make it pretty cost about $46. What a deal! $106 spent total on a fancy new table and chairs that would normally cost at least $500.

Materials Used:

  • High gloss espresso brown paint (I was going to stain it, but the finish on the wood wouldn’t sand down very well). ($11)
  • Paint brush ($4).
  • Batting to cover the wicker ($10-11).
  • Fabric (about 2.5 yards–I got extra if I need to re-upholster a chair). (~$20)

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