If you're one of the thousands trying to watch what they eat this Holiday season (and hopefully the rest of the year as well), I wanted to share one of my favorite substitutes for mashed potatoes. On an average Thanksgiving, I am capable of consuming inhuman amounts of mashed potatoes, which, much like the turkey, stuffing and a few other things on my plate, are just a buttery vehicle to get gravy into my belly. Gravy, butter and potatoes are a big part of why I needed to start Go Figure in the first place, but the whole reason I've been able to progress with this new life style is because I haven't deprived myself of things; I simply make substitutes.

In the case of mashed potatoes, you'll find that cauliflower is the go-to sub for mashed potatoes. My first few attempts at this ended up as a pasty soup, most of which found its way into the garbage disposal. Turns out, when they say to "drain the cauliflower" after you steam it, they don't just mean drain; they mean dry...as in, you need to squeeze as much liquid out of this stuff as possible. Once you've done that, just add in the mayo, butter (ghee works best for those of you fancy types), salt and pepper and you'll end up with a very passable substitute for one of the biggest no-no items on any low carb diet.

So much of this is "to taste", but for those who insist on amounts, here's the basic recipe:

2 large heads cauliflower, cut into small florets
¼ cup mayo (paleo friendly)
¼ cup butter (or ghee)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper

Optional addons:

Cheese! (My personal favorite for this stuff is the white Kerri Gold Irish cheese)
Roasted Garlic

Cut up the cauliflower, steam it for about 8 minutes, then get it dry (I put it between paper towels) and get it in the food processor
After processing, add the other ingredients listed above.

I figure if I sub the potatoes, I can probably get away with a few spoonfuls of gravy this Thanksgiving.

For the record, I'm truly thankful for Kelsey and everyone at Go Figure for helping me to lose almost 50 lbs. this year.  I'll be honest and say that I might have a couple of indulgences over the holidays, but the lifestyle is one that can stick, so it will truly be just a treat, and not the norm.  If you're looking to get a little lighter and healthier, you should look at their site and get started.

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