Whipped Cauliflower

Whipped Caulilfower

1 Head of Cauliflower

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

1  Tablespoon Butter

2 ounces Dubliner or other sharp cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces. 

Place in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of cream and 1  tablespoon of butter.

Microwave, uncovered, on high for five minutes.

Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture.  

Microwave for another 4 minutes on high.

Remove from the microwave and put into a high speed blender or food processor along with the  cheese.  Puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can adjust the cream and butter to your preference.  

* I found this receipe on a blog called I Breathe...I'm Hungry.  One thing I love about her blog is that her readers are very forthcoming after testing a recipe and quick to come back with "what went wrong" (for them) or variations.  Because of this...

* I took a lot of care trimming the cauliflower I bought at Whole Foods.  I cut pieces into medium sized.  I think smaller would be fine as well, but larger?  It would take longer in the food processor and maybe not with the best results.  Also, some of her readers complained about a "graininess" and I think that can be avoided (for the most part) by cutting away the membrane/stems and just using the florets.

*  I started with the measures for the butter and heavy cream.  I used Irish butter and Whole Foods heavy cream.  After the first puree in the food processor, I added just a bit more.  I also did my salt and pepper in between twirls in the food processor, and I used freshly grated pepper.  It took a bit more salt than I normally use in my cooking, and it made me remember my mother's statement "potatoes take a lot of salt."  So does cauliflower, but not hugely so.  I rarely use salt, hence the comment.

* I did use Dubliner cheese, and I used the exact amount.  I bought mine at Whole Foods.  A 4 ounce piece in 2012 was close to $7.00, so not cheap.  It has a very sharp, very strong flavor, and it does wonders.  The blog commenters also said a variety of cheeses are interesting:  white sharp cheddar, mixed hard Italian, goat cheese, cream cheese (and in truth I always put cream cheese in my mashed potatoes.)

* If you do get graininess, it has been recommended to run the mix through the microwave again for a few minutes; that perhaps the cheese didn't adequately melt.  I didn't have that problem, but I did let the food processor run for a goodly time (five minutes or so,) to make sure I had a really smooth blend.