“Just like loaded baked potatoes” cauliflower By Ashley Carter

If you feel like you’ve consumed nothing but gingerbread and eggnog for the past two weeks, you’re not alone.  I do too.  Well here’s a recipe that will help set you on track for your New Year’s resolution to start eating more vegetables without leaving you wishing for that third helping of dessert you’ve gotten accustomed to.

This cauliflower dish is supposed to trick you into eating a healthy version of loaded baked potatoes – but honestly, I don’t think it needs any justification.  The first time I made it I followed a simple recipe that, while “healthy” because of the vegetable component, also contains its fair share of delicious but less-than-nutritionally-ideal ingredients (aka bacon). When my boyfriend recently suggested we make it again to serve with blackened cod, I thought it would be fun to experiment with “healthifying” the original recipe while still making a filling, satisfying side for our fish.

The flavor and texture are great – creamy and smooth like mashed potatoes, but a little chunky because of the cauliflower pieces.  With the cheese and green onions, you can hardly even tell you are eating the vegetable you used to make faces at when your mom served it to you as a kid!  If you ask me, this one is well worth adding to your 2013 go-to recipes.

Prep time: 15 minutes

 Cook time: 20 minutes

 Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 3 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
• 1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp light sour cream (optional)
• 3/4 cup shredded low-fat cheese (we used a part-skim mozzarella-cheddar blend)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Pinot Noir (for the chef during cooking, not the dish!)

Directions:

1)   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2)   Chop and steam cauliflower until cooked.

3)   Chop cooked cauliflower into small pieces.

4)   Mix 1/2 cup cheese, yogurt, sour cream, 2/3 of scallions, and salt and pepper into medium baking dish.

5)   Stir in cauliflower.

6)   Sprinkle on remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

7)   Bake for 20 minutes.

8)   Garnish with remaining scallions and serve!

Ashley Carter is a second year Nutrition Communication student at the Friedman School.  She loves cooking, especially when it involves experimentation, and she is constantly trying to convince her boyfriend that it’s “fun” to “healthify” recipes and that he “won’t even notice” the change.