{guiltless recipe} Cauliflower Puree with Caramelized Onions

Today I ate pizza for lunch. Why do you care? Because I’m using a calorie-counting app on my iPhone that rules my life because I’m going to Hawaii in a couple months and I just turned 35 and where did this additional muffin top come from? So pizza for lunch means that if I want a glass of wine (and I almost ALWAYS want a glass of wine) then I have to bust out a crazy low-calorie dinner. 150 calories to fill me up? Yes please. This whole recipe comes out to around 300 calories, and serves 4 as a side, or 2 as a main course… as long as you’re OK with eating a puree as your main course. Which I am.

Did I already talk about how it’s delicious? I don’t believe we’ve touched on that yet. This is one of my favorite side dishes for pork chops, scallops, or steak. My Dad is on the Atkins Diet, and it’s right up his alley too. I usually use nonfat Greek yogurt like Fage, but tonight, I had some dregs of sour cream and some additional dregs of cream cheese, and that worked out great too.

So go ahead. Make your weight. Or just eat a tasty cauliflower puree. Whatever your goal is, I think this will do the trick.

(Guiltless) Cauliflower Puree with Caramelized Onions

serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main course

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and chopped coarsely
• 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (like Fage) – or a combination of Greek yogurt, sour cream, and/or cream cheese to your liking
• 2-3 Tbsp parmesan
• splash of milk or broth as needed
• salt and pepper

Method:

• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and season with salt. Cook the onion over low heat for about 20 minutes, until they are light brown and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water. Add the cauliflower and put a lid on the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until fork tender. Drain.
• Put cauliflower in a food processor and add yogurt, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk or broth if needed. Continue to puree until smooth.
• Add onions and stir together. Serve immediately.
• To make ahead, scrape the puree into a square pan or a casserole dish, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To reheat, drizzle a bit of milk on top and heat in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. You can also add grated parmesan on the top before reheating for a crispy crust.