Cauliflower porridge: preparation
How to make mashed cauliflower, a low-carb Thanksgiving side dish.
Thanksgiving dishes are all about mountains of creamy mashed or cheesy potatoes, stuffing made from bread cubes, and casseroles topped with crunchy breadcrumbs or cracker toppings. These dishes are Thanksgiving classics, after all.
But for many, these traditional Thanksgiving dishes represent carb overload and break the carb bank. For most people following a low-carb or keto diet in its intended form — a diet aimed at reducing refined carbohydrates — Thanksgiving is not one of those low-carb meals.
However, you can reduce the carbohydrate load of many traditional dishes, making the meal more manageable.
If you’re looking to try and save some money this holiday season, today’s recipes are our three favorites. While they’re not completely carb-free, they’ll get you started.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.
Cauliflower porridge
Serves: 6-8 / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes This recipe can be made at least 2 hours in advance and reheated.
1 large head of cauliflower, deseeded and divided into florets ¾ to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided ⅓ cup heavy cream or half and half 3 tablespoons butter, divided ½ teaspoon garlic powder or to taste Salt and black pepper to taste Fresh chopped chives or scallions
Add 2 inches of water to a large pot with a vegetable steamer. Add the cauliflower florets and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the cauliflower is boiling, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. drain. When the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap the cauliflower in a clean tea towel (or a non-terry towel). Squeeze the cauliflower in the towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until the cauliflower is smooth. Or puree until desired consistency. Stir in heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in ¾ cup cheese, cream, butter and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl. If desired, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese, sprinkle with a knob of butter, and sprinkle with chives.
Adapted from several recipes.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Salad with kale and shredded butternut squash
Serves: 8th / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes This salad can be prepared and dressed at least 2 hours in advance.
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, grated or shredded with a vegetable peeler, 2 small bunches of kale, washed, patted dry, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 6 cups), 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, ⅓ cup toasted walnuts , ⅓ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped, 1 teaspoon (or to taste) Dijon mustard, salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, kale, red onion and walnuts. In a small bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir again and coat. Surcharge.
Adapted from Food Network Magazine, November 2018 issue.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Cauliflower stuffing with sage and Italian sausage
Serves: 8th / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes
1 pound popular Italian sausage (mild or hot) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped ½ cup thinly sliced celery 2 garlic cloves, peeled, minced 1 large head of cauliflower (cut into small florets), about 6 cups ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon grated sage or more 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt to taste. Freshly ground black pepper to taste. 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. If the sausage is in a casing, remove the casing. Add the sausage to the pan and fry until browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until soft. Stir in the cauliflower and sauté until tender. Season with poultry seasoning and sage. Add the sausage back to the pan and sauté until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Continue heating. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
By Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen and tested.
Pumpkin pie with almond flour crust
Serves: 8th / Preparation time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
CRUST2 cups blanched almond flour, ¼ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 4 tablespoons well-chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, 1 egg
FILLING1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree¾ teaspoon Stevia (about 1 small packet) concentrated powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground ginger¼ teaspoon ground cloves½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 egg yolks1 large egg⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
How to make a crust: Butter a 9-inch pie plate and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place flour, baking powder, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse several times. Add the egg. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Press dough evenly into a 9-inch cake pan (this is wet dough and will not roll out). Work it all the way up the sides and score it to create a decorative edge. Prick the bottom and sides several times with a fork, then line with foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove foil and cake weights. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is just dry. Remove from the oven while the filling is being prepared.
For the filling: In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin, stevia, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Stir in egg yolk, egg and whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake for about 30 minutes or until filling is set. If the ridged edges brown too quickly, wrap them with foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool. If desired, serve the cake with a dollop of whipped cream. Adapted from several recipes.
Adapted from several recipes.
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.