Creamy Mashed Cauliflower (V) (GF) & Roasted Scallops

If you haven’t seen many recipes on this part of my blog lately, try checking out the categories listed under the Nutrition Tab, I definitely have add a few more to make recipes easier to find. I’m using this “Recipe Blog” portion to be a catch all that doesn't fall into those categories. So try looking at some of the other categories if you haven't already!

Ok, now let’s get to this creamy delectable creamy cauliflower mash which is very much fluffy and creamy like the good ole’ mash potatoes I used to eat back in the day in Michigan! It brought back all of those feelings as a kid wanting to slather those things in butter and I could practically eat 2-3 servings of nothing but mashed potatoes and leave all the other food behind. It was a huge hit at our house growing up.

You can take the girl out of the Midwest, but you cant take the Midwest out of the girl!

I did my best to recreate these in the most creamy and delectable way I could to emulate the joy I had eating those mashed potatoes as a kid.

It seems that Cauliflower is ALL the rage these days taking form in every shape including pizza, mashed potatoes, “steaks” and most recently I saw cauliflower chips in the aisle at Whole Foods!

Let’s get real, the food industry will take anything to cling on to for more market share so cauliflower is the new SUPERFOOD! Just kidding, but some days it does seem like that!

To prove this point further, it was on the cover of EATING WELL this month titled “The Hottest Head” with the first line stating, “Yep, Americans are CRAZY for Cauliflower. So there you go, we’re officially Cauliflower heads!

Ok, enough of me rambling about Cauliflower and let’s talk about these scallops! I’m a huge fan, BUT with a BIG BUT, they have to be prepared and cooked just right. Since I’m the only one who eats them in our family, I rarely make them but I was excited to try making them on my own rather than ordering them from more upscale restaurants for a $35 entrée!

First, let’s start with prep. Because for the Scallops, it matters. I usually buy frozen because living in Colorado, you can’t really count on fresh!

THAWING: : you either need to thaw them overnight in the fridge or if you’re like me and list minute, submerge the entire bag of frozen scallops in cold water. It takes about 15 minutes or so to thaw.
DRYING: After the scallops are thawed put them in a colander to rinse and drain. Then, place them on a dry paper towel and top with another two to press all of the moisture out of the scallops.
BAKING: I love these baked and there’s little room for error. So if this is your first time, try baking! 4-5 minutes on 450 and you’re done!

Now for the ingredients:

1 large head of ORGANIC Cauliflower
1/4 Onion Powder or onion Salt and omit the salt below.
1/4 tsp Sea salt
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
1/4 cup Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
1/2 tsp.Paprika
2 TBSP Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup nut milk
1 bag frozen scallops
2 tbsp Vegan Pesto or I used Trader Joe’s Kale Cashew Vegan Pesto

Directions for Cauliflower:

Rinse Cauliflower in colander. Cut off the bottom stem and remove the leaves. Chop lengthwise into “steaks”
Pat dry and coat with avocado or olive oil, paprika and onion salt.
Roast at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place cauliflower chunks into blender. Add 1/4 cup almond milk, 2 tbsp cream cheese and 4 roasted garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and blend until smooth. You may want to add a bit more nut milk here as you see fit depending on desired consistency.

Directions for Scallops:

THAWING: : if you buy frozen then will need to be thawed overnight in the fridge or if you’re like me and last minute, submerge the entire bag of frozen scallops in cold water. It takes about 15 minutes or so to thaw.

DRYING: After the scallops are thawed put them in a colander to rinse and drain. Then, place them on a dry paper towel and top with another two to press all of the moisture out of the scallops.
BAKING: I love these baked and there’s little room for error. So if this is your first time, try baking! Drizzle with olive oil in baking pan and sprinkle some fresh rosemary, onion salt and/or garlic salt.
Bake 4-5 minutes on 450 and you’re done!
Spread the cauliflower on your plate like a tapestry for your scallops and place 3-4 scallops on the cauliflower. Drizzle with pesto for the perfect flavor bomb combination!

I hope you enjoy! As always, if you like this recipe, I’d love to hear your comments OR tag me on Instagram @AngieReneeFitLife

Thanks for following along!

XX

Angie