Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes'
My Recipe for Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Turns out, there are two ways to concoct a steaming bowl of light ‘n’ fluffy mashed potatoes. The first calls for a dairy’s worth of butter and cream. The second calls for – get this! – ditching the spuds entirely!

These ‘potatoes’ are really cauliflower and turnips, cooked and mashed. Texture-wise, the mouthfeel is like traditional mashed potatoes except lighter. Taste-wise, once the ‘feel’ of mashed potatoes is present, the two vegetables are subtle enough that you just might not notice!

Now before Mr. Potato Head accuses me of potato-ism, please know that I love potatoes! In fact, you just might say that only a potato fiend fan would collect this many potato recipes.

But not everyone eats potatoes, either by choice or by prescription. There are the dieters, the whole low carb craze and all. And there are the diabetics, whose blood glucose skyrockets when confronted with too many carbs.

The great news is that this recipe for 'low-carb potatoes' is delicious for everyone. I recommend serving it with something, say under a bowl of stew, rather than on its own.

Now to be honest, when my dad first tried my new low-carb 'potatoes', he sniffed, "There's no substitute for the Irish potato." But another taste-tester with certified culinary credentials thought otherwise, "This could pass for potatoes, no question."

Which camp is yours? Decide for yourself!

CELERIAC MASHED "POTATOES" If you like, substitute celery root (also called celeriac) for the cauliflower. It adds a subtle touch of celery flavor that’s quite lovely. Celeriac is expensive, however, so use a small head with one to two pounds of turnips. The celeriac takes longer to cook so cook them alone for about 15 minutes before adding the turnips.

CAULIFLOWER IS THE LOW-CARB SUBSTITUTE FOR POTATOES & OTHER STARCHES I'm especially fond of Cauliflower Spanish 'Rice' and many people love this no-potato Cauliflower "Potato" Salad.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. What's your favorite trick to avoid carbs? Just send me a recipe via e-mail, recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!