Spaghetti Squash and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes: The Low Carb Comfort Foods!
Yes, There Is Such a Thing As Low or No Carb Comfort Food!
I love spaghetti; I love mashed potatoes. However, wheat does bad things to me. Yeasty foods do bad things to me. Things that are high in high glycemic carbs turn to sugar really fast and feeds the yeast, which is bad for me. Potatoes starch does all that.
I can go on and on about that. But the bottom line is that food that I love and find comforting aren't good for me.
On top of that, my body does best when I eat even complex carb and protein and fat separate from each other. Thus, even eating whole grain pasta, rice pasta etc, means that I can't use most sauces because they have oil in them. Sugar free isn't enough. So I had to make a 'sauce' which was just tomato paste and vegetables. It was good, but, not comfort food.
Then I discovered spaghetti squash. Well, yum.
I first learned about cauliflower mashed 'potatoes' from Suzanne Somers, but there are lots of recipes around. The thing about potatoes is that they have flavor, but you have to eat a totally plain baked or boiled potato to get it. When you eat baked the way I do, with sour cream and butter or mashed with cream and milk and flavoring, the potatoes become just something to hold the good stuff. So it really doesn't have to be potatoes. In the case of mashed, well cauliflower works really well!
There are actually two ways of making it. The recipe that I followed for baked came out a little too aldente for me, but if you like that, then go for it.
Take one spaghetti squash, sink a fork into it all the way around, as much as you want. Then bake it in a preheated 375 degree oven for one hour or more if you like it softer. Then cut in half, remove the seeds with a spoon. Then take a fork and scrape the body of the squash over and over. You will see vermicelli like spaghetti appear like magic.
Serve with your favorite sauce!
Or try to steams, below (I haven't tried it in a pressure cooker yet, but will let you know when I do)
Ingredients
- One Spaghetti Squash
Instructions
- Cut in half and remove the seeds. Place in shallow baking pan meat down. Put about 3/4 inch of water in pan and cover.
- Bake in over for 45-60 minutes or to preference. Take out of oven and use fork to turn the squash into spaghetti by using tungs to scrape the meat.
- Serve with favorite sauce.
Cooking Spaghetti Squash
How Did You Do?
Did You Know That?
Did You Know This?
Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon of cream cheese (or more to taste and texture
- Chicken broth (or vegetable)
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream (or more to texture
- start with little and add if necessary)
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter (or more to taste or texture)
Instructions
- Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.
- Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.
- In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, cream and butter.
- Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.
- Add a variety of flavors from garlic to ground macadamia or hazel nuts. Herbs and spices are great here.
- Use the cream cheese and cream to taste, but add slowly so the dish does not become too liquidy.
Making Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes and Flavor
Would You Substitute Cauliflower for Potatoes in a Mash?
Mashed and Flavor
What Is Your Favorite Flavor of Mashed Potatoes (or Cualiflower)?
Easy and Delicious Ways to Food Combine
