Baked Mashed Cauliflower

In August, when I’m deep into my surgery rotation, I’ll be celebrating the four year anniversary of attempting to cook for myself full-time.

Almost four years ago I moved into the Village, Case Western’s newly-built upperclassman undergraduate housing.  For the first time I had a stove and an oven a few steps from my bedroom, and I dispensed with the cafeteria meal plan like a child her water wings.  I also craigslisted a food processor and a blender, and RTA/biked to the opposite ends of Cleveland to retrieve them.

My first food processor ever was a tiny minion-sized thing that was supposed to be used for chopping garlic and shredding parmesan.  It choked on canned chickpeas, and if I ran it for more than half a minute it would emit a smell that I can only describe as melting Barbies.  But it was mine, and together we made many a grainy hummus.

Last year I inherited an awesome processor/blender from my mom.  I repurposed my old blender into a bedroom lamp, and I think the only remnant of the food processor is a blade lingering in the utensil drawer.

Four years since I started cooking, the only things that are consistently edible are family recipes.  The rest are just stabs in the dark with a butter knife.  However, after 5-6 jabs at this dish I have finally produced a tasty version of mashed cauliflower.  You need a food processor to make it.  But the results are creamy and satisfying, the kind of thing that makes all of this personal growth worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head cauliflower (I’m going to have to estimate the other ingredients because I actually used a couple of handfuls of florets and the core of the vegetable)
• 1.5 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• salt to taste
• grated parmesan, breadcrumbs, and freshly ground black pepper for the top

Steam the cauliflower until it is extremely tender — like, you breathe on it and it’s going to fall apart.  Place the cauliflower in the food processor.
Toast the butter and sesame oil over medium-high heat in the skillet.  When the butter is becoming brown, turn off the heat and add the garlic.  Hold the skillet and swill the butter so that the garlic becomes lightly fried.
Turn on the processor to “low” and add the butter-garlic mixture slowly.  As the mixture becomes pureed increase the speed until it becomes smooth.  I didn’t have to add water but you may need to add a little.  Add salt to taste.
Preheat the oven to broil.  Put the mashed cauliflower into a muffin tin or ramekins (anything oven safe) and sprinkle parmesan, bread crumbs, and pepper on top.  Put the lot under the broiler and check every 2 minutes to see if the top is browning.  Serve warm.

Print This BA Recipe