Making Mashed Cauliflower (aka Faux-tatoes)

When you start livin' la vida low-carb, there are certain foods that you know will not be a part of your new healthy lifestyle any longer. While some people say they are just too unwilling to give up these foods they think they can't live without, those of us who have been on the Atkins diet have simply learned to adjust our eating habits in such a way that we find other options to replace those "comfort foods" we enjoyed so much prior to going on low-carb.

One such food is potatoes. As much as people think they MUST have potatoes or their life will end, the truth is potatoes are decided unhealthy for your body and cause just as much of a rise in your blood sugar as eating chocolate cake. GASP! But I thought potatoes were a vegetable and aren't all veggies good for you, Jimmy? In a word, NOPE! The starchy vegetables are jam-packed with carbohydrates that your body simply does not need.

So what is a low-carber to do who likes the taste of potatoes, but doesn't want all those carbs to keep them from losing weight and getting healthy? You could shell out some money for pre-packaged potato-alternative products like Imitaters or Instant Mashers. But you could just make your own as my friend Kent Altena shows you in his latest Atkins cooking video.

ATKINS DIET RECIPES: FAUX-TATOES



This was the second how-to cook for the Atkins diet video Kent made (Click here to see his first one about making a low-carb Mock Danish) and mashed cauliflower is a favorite among people who are livin' la vida low-carb. I have yet to meet anyone who can tell the difference between this amazing side dish and traditional mashed potatoes. And yet the carbohydrate count is immensely different.

Here are the ingredients you will need for the Faux-tatoes:

1 Head Cauliflower or One Bag of Frozen Cauliflower
2.5 TBS Butter
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 Chicken Bouillon cube
1 tsp salt
White pepper to taste

Quick and Easy Directions:

1. Cook Cauliflower until fork tender. Drain well.
2. Place cooked cauliflower and other ingredients (crush bouillon cube first) into the food processor. Run on high until consistency of mashed potatoes. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple times to prevent lumps.

Serve to your friends and family and let them be amazed.

I enjoyed the end of this video when Kent had his 12-year old and 8-year old daughters try a bite and give their reaction to the Faux-tatoes recipe. If you haven't seen these adorable girls, then watch the video so you can see them for yourself. There's even a quick cameo of Kent's wife holding the dog at the very end and you can definitely tell where the girls get their good looks from. :D

THANKS again, Kent! These cooking videos are superb because people are always wondering what those of us on the low-carb lifestyle eat. Um, it's called food! Duh! LOL! Keep it going, buddy! Leave your comments for Kent about his latest video at his blog.

Low-Carb Potatoes Are A Freak Of Science

News-Medical.Net offers a strange new offering for people wanting to fulfill their craving for a traditionally high-carb food while doing a low-carb lifestyle -- a low-carb potato! That sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?

After first introducing these genetically-altered low-carb potatoes in January, University of Florida researchers went back to the drawing board to offer low-carb consumers an even bigger and better-tasting potato they can sink their teeth into. This new potato is expected to release to the marketplace next month.

With 30% less carbs and 25% less calories than a "normal" potato, these low-carb wonders of science have a yellow instead of white flesh tone. But I warn people who are livin' la vida low-carb about eating these so-called low-carb potatoes.

Since an average potato has 19 grams of carbohydrates, these new spuds only drop the carb total to 13 grams each. Say it with me now: THAT IS NOT LOW-CARB ENOUGH FOR ME ON MY LOW-CARB LIFESTYLE! It's not. When people are trying to lose weight on low-carb, a potato offering 13 carbs is detrimental to your cause.

I'm not a big fan of these fake foods that scientists cook up in their lab or in their personal guinea pig gardens. While it's nice to have alternatives to those foods we thought we couldn't live without, they really have become unnecessary for most of us doing the low-carb lifestyle.

There's a better way to get the taste of potatoes without all the extra carbs associated with them. Have you tried cauliflower? If you mash it up and put butter, cheese and sour cream on it, I bet you couldn't tell it wasn't potatoes! It's little things like this that make the low-carb lifestyle work. You lose your cravings for those foods you thought you couldn't live without. YOU REALLY DO!

If you feel like you need these new "low-carb potatoes," just remember not to overindulge and that there are better alternatives that will give you the taste you desire.