Substitute Teaching, Part 2: The Wonders of Cauliflower

More than meets the eye...

Who knew that cauliflower had such potential?

An entire medium-sized head of cauliflower has 11g of protein, 30g of carbohydrates (15g of sugar), and 1g of fat, for a total of 144 calories. Cauli comes in many colors and varieties; the recipes here have been tested with the standard white variety you'll find at the store.

Apart from being a great raw vehicle for guac (avocado, lime, salt, garlic, and cilantro mashed together, all to taste) and other dips, cauli is a great stand-in for mashed potatoes and can work as a crust too. Here are a few favorites.

1. Puréed cauli: steam it (or microwave for 4 minutes in a bowl with a bit of water), then purée in a food processor or blender. Oil is optional. Spread on a plate and put something else delicious on top. Makes a great polenta sub — or just call it what it is: cauli purée.

Cauli purée under scallops. Nom nom.

2. Mashed "potatoes": steam it and shred it with a knife, pulse it in a food processor, or mash it with a potato masher. Add butter, and voilà — fake mashed potatoes. I advocate garlic too; you can never have too much garlic!

Yes yes yes!!! Chives add color and flavor.

3. Crust: steam or cook it, squeeze out the water (put it in a colander and press it with your hand or a big spoon), and mix with eggs — two per head should work. Add some garlic, oregano, and basil, then press into a pizza-crust shape — large or small — and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, top it like a pizza, and there you go! You can also use this as a pie crust; adding 1 tablespoon of coconut flour helps, and obviously the garlic and oregano should be swapped for cinnamon or other appropriate spices (though garlic and apples kind of work together).

4. Roast it! Chop up a head of cauliflower, toss with olive oil, and put it in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes. Yum!

What have you done with cauliflower lately?

Next time: another white food with lots of uses!