Mashed Cauliflower or Mashed Potatoes?

cauliflower health wise, potato taste wise

Never tried cauliflower before. Which is better, taste-wise, health-wise, etc?

cauliflower is fine

but potato is king

I gagged at mashed cauliflower. So disgusting. Love me some mashed potatoes.

The cauliflower is def healthier though.

Everything in moderation if you ask me.

Instead of mashed cauliflower try mashed yellow turnips or rutabaga. Since rutabaga is a root vegetable like potatoes, it will cook into the same consistency--which for some people is key.

I know... rutabagas have a bad wrap, which is why a lot of markets now call them "yellow turnips." Technically, they are in the same family as turnips. I am so used to calling them yellow turnips that my recipe below uses that term.

Try this:
Buy the same volume as yellow turnips of you would potatoes. Peel the outside and then cut it into quarter-inch pieces. Make sure you have a sharp knife because a raw yellow turnip is very dense. Place in a pot of water that is filled with twice the amount of water as you have turnips. Add salt to the water, probably no more than two teaspoons. Put it on the stove and boil. Let it cook until fork tender. Drain the water leaving the turnips in the pot and mash in the pot.

As you put the turnips on the stove, measure 1/2 cup of skim milk and let it come up to room temperature.

While the turnips are cooking, take one teaspoon of arrow root. Arrow root is a thickener that will not add any flavor or calories like corn starch. When the water boils in the pot take one tablespoon of the water and add it to the Arrow Root. Stir well. Add one more tablespoon of water. What you should have is a thick slurry. If the Arrow Root is not fully incorporated, add one teaspoon at a time until it is incorporated.

In another small mixing bowl, do the same with at least a tablespoon of powdered butter (Butter Buds or Molly McButter). It may take 3 tablespoons of water to get a good slurry of the butter.

After you mash the turnips, mix 1/4 of the milk with the Arrow Root slurry--the Arrow Root slurry is probably warmer than the milk and this will temper the slurry. Then mix the slurry into the milk. Mix well. This will thicken the milk to the same consistency as heavy cream. Pour the milk into the pot with the yellow turnips and stir. Then add the butter slurry and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I guarantee that if you do this, most people will not know it is yellow turnip/rutabaga over potatoes!

BTW: If you are into garlic mashed potatoes, roast a bulb of garlic separately, make sure the roasted garlic is mashed, and add it after the butter.

You can top it with chives and crumbles of crunchy soy bacon--which isn't bad!

Like sour cream with your potatoes? Try plain Greek yogurt instead. Take a six-ounce cup of fat-free Greek yogurt and add one tablespoon of lemon juice (I always keep the Minute Maid lemon juice in the fridge). Add 1/4 packet of Truvia or similar sweetener. Mix together and add salt and pepper to taste. You can substitute champagne or white wine vinegar for the lemon juice. If you use vinegar, use 1/2 packet of the sweetener.

NOTE: This is my first post here but was motivated by the topic. I have lost 227 pounds with the help of gastric sleeve surgery (177 since surgery last year). Rather than pitying myself for not being able to eat what I want, I have been on a mission to find substitutes. I have more of these and will share them as appropriate.

I wish everyone much success in their journey. I know that I feel so much better by losing all the weight!!

I think that made the right way cauliflower is better, mostly because of the fact that it is lower in calories and carbs and I don't get that heavy bloated feeling when I eat them. They will likley never replace potatoes for the consistency. I make a cauliflower puree that is very good and tastes much like garlic mashed potatoes (though there is no garlic in it oddly enough)

1 head cauliflower, seperated into florets
1 whole leek, white and 1" green, well washed and sliced into 1/4" slices
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 ounces cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1.Boil cauliflower until very soft, approximately 15 minutes in lightly salted water. While boiling, sautee leeks in butter until wilted and starting to carmelize.

2.Drain cauliflower and place in food processor along with leeks, cheese, cream, butter, salt, pepper and xanthan gum. Pulse or blend until smooth. Additional xanthan gum can be added if needed to thicken the mixture into a more "potato" consistancy.

Mix them together! I love a mix of mashed cauliflower and purple potatoes...add in a little sun-dried tomato (finely chopped) and Parmesan cheese, you've got yourself a very tasty side dish.

Mashed Cauliflower for the win. We've swapped out white potatoes for mashed cauliflower anytime we have a meal that would normally have potato as a side. Kids prefer it over potatoes now.

If we're taking about sweet potato though, I'll choke a bear to get at one.