Happy Hump Day!
First of all, thanks for all of the wonderful and supportive comments on yesterday’s post! It’s inspiring to see so many of you determined to be your best self and not lose your identity or sense of self just because you are a mother! For those who aren’t mothers yet, it is great to see so many of you determined to still be yourself while being a great mother. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming weeks.
Anyhow, I hope everyone is enjoying their week! I’m excited that we are finally experiencing some Fall weather! I love the chilly mornings, evenings and the smell of walnut harvest in the air.
Since it’s time for another What I Ate Wednesday, thanks to the lovely Jenn for hosting, I thought I would mix things up a bit and share a tasty side dish with you, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower with Corn and Cotija Cheese. I’ve made this twice now and Keenan and my husband love it! If you aren’t a potato fan or looking for a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, these might just do the trick! It is rich, thick and creamy!
The best part about this dish is it is very easy to make. It only takes a few minutes of prep and a food processor to blend everything together.
Here you go…
First, wash, chop and steam cauliflower in the microwave (5-7 minutes). Add to food processor and pulse to a “rough” puree.
Meanwhile, saute corn, onions and garlic with spices in a large pan until caramelized.
Add corn mixture and cheese to cauliflower.
Blend cauliflower mixture until smooth and thick.
Serve immediately with your favorite protein!
Ingredients
- 2 small/medium heads of cauliflower
- 2 ears of corn
- 1 large red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 3/4 cup cotija cheese
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregeno
- sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and chop cauliflower. Place in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes until tender.
- Add cauliflower to food processor and pulse to a "rough" puree and set aside.
- Remove corn from the cob with a knife and chop red onion.
- Saute corn, onion and garlic with olive oil until caramelized in a large pan.
- Add corn mixture, along with cheese and spices to cauliflower. Blend until thick and smooth. I prefer mine a little lumpy.
- Serve immediately with your favorite protein and enjoy!
Notes
Depending on taste, you may need to add additional spices when blending everything together in the food processor. To add some heat, add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce!
You can use the leftovers for breakfast the next day by adding a fried egg on top! My husband and Keenan love to eat it this way!
Questions:
What new recipes have you tried lately?
How do you like to eat cauliflower?
I love cauliflower mashed potatoes! Great idea to add in corn, onions and cheese!
Thanks! I honestly can say that I’d rather have the cauliflower mashed potatoes then real mashed potatoes after making this a few times!
I’ve mixed cauliflower “rice” with corn, onions & cheese before – but never have I thought to puree it all together. Great idea, Melissa!
Ooh, cauliflower rice with corn, onions and cheese would be good! I’ll have to try that sometime!
Melissa, I’ve honestly never tried mashing cauliflower. I’ve never been a big fan of cauliflower. Maybe it’s time to revisit it. Why did you use cotija cheese…….flavor, texture, or both? I like to remake recipes into healthier real food recipes. It’s kind of like working puzzles. Sometimes it turns out good on the first try and sometimes I need to tweek (not twerk LOL!) the recipes a few times.
I’m usually not a big fan of cauliflower either, which is why I try to be creative with it and make “rice” out of it or mashed. I used cotija cheese for the flavor, as I thought it would go best with the corn for a southwestern flavor that I was going for. I love reworking recipes to make them healthier. I can read cookbooks cover to cover just to get ideas and remake things. I totally agree on sometimes things turning out good the first time, but other times, it takes a little tweeking!
What a delicious recipe! I really need to get on the mashed cauliflower bandwagon. I tried out cauliflower rice a little while back so I’m sure I’d love this 🙂
If you love cauliflower rice, you’ll love mashed cauliflower! It’s so rich!