= Makes: 3 to 4 cups
= Serving size: ½ cup
= Total servings: 6–8
= Active time: 10 minutes
= Total time: 20 minutes
This is a great base, and a great alternative to fat- and sugar-laden commercial white sauces. I like to mix it with cooked barley and shredded chicken over a bed of wilted spinach and top it off with grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup milk or a milk alternative like plain, unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ teaspoons salt, or more to taste
STEP 1: In large pot, steam the cauliflower until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Dry toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat until just golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
STEP 2: Combine the cauliflower, pine nuts, milk, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl or a food processor, if you have one. Mash or puree until creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
VARIATIONS:
• Use butternut squash in place of cauliflower.
• Add 2 tablespoons cheese (Parmesan, Reggiano, pecorino romano), olive oil, or nut oil. Add one or two herbs; dill, tarragon, or parsley would be nice here: 1 teaspoon dried, or 1 tablespoon fresh.
• Add a pinch (⅛ teaspoon) of cayenne pepper.
GOES WELL WITH:
• Soups, used in place of cream
• Roasted eggplant, layered with chopped cooked spinach, browned ground meat, and Parmesan cheese to make a quick moussaka
• Lasagna noodles, layered with meat sauce, cheese, and sautéed greens
• Chicken alfredo, as a sauce
• White pizza, as a base
Per serving: Calories 80, Calories from Fat 35, Total Fat 4.5g (7% DV), Saturated Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 640mg (27% DV), Carbohydrates 8g (3% DV), Dietary Fiber 3g (12% DV), Sugars 3g, Added Sugars: 0g, Protein 4g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 110%, Calcium 4%, Iron 6%.
STOCK—A TUTORIAL
It’s not hard to make stock. And it’s the base for so many different dishes. Canned stock, stock packets, bouillon—they’re full of sodium and sugar and who knows what. Any place a savory recipe calls for water, you can use your homemade stock. Try it. You’ll find it gives the dish a whole different flavor. Stocks add very little in terms of calories or fat, but they add tons of flavor, nutrients, and minerals. All of the recipes that follow can be doubled.