Food Friday-Healthy Edition

Welcome readers! I am currently on Day 4 of the South Beach Diet. I noticed my weight creeping up and up and I had to buy a larger size of jeans last week. Aaack! Plus I looked bigger in photos and I decided to do something about it. Nothing drastic, since I don't have a lot of weight to lose, but I wanted to nip this weight gain in the bud before it became a bigger problem.

I decided on the South Beach Diet since 1. you can have unlimited amounts of decaf coffee, just watch the sugar and creamer add-ins and 2. you don't have to weigh and measure food or count calories. Plus I'm all for eating healthier. Nothing weird like braised tofu or wheat germ & carrot juice milkshakes, just being aware of what ingredients are in food and all the added sugars and salts do add up!

I have never had so many vegetables in my house in my life! My brother in law was on a low-carb diet last summer and he recommended the Surprise South Beach Mashed "Potatoes" (which is actually cauliflower) and is actually very good! I think raw cauliflower is gross and tasteless but I whipped up a batch of this and it was excellent. The recipe is from the Prevention Magazine website. Photo courtesy of cookin'mama on allrecipes.com.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 (1-cup) servings

1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 8 cups)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 (14-ounce) cans lower-sodium chicken broth
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

In a large saucepan, combine cauliflower, garlic, and broth. If cauliflower is not completely covered by broth, add water to just cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12 minutes.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, then drain cauliflower and garlic. Transfer cauliflower and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, pulsing in some or all of the reserved cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, stir in chives. Serve warm.

Nutrition at a Glance, Per serving: 80 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 8 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 183 mg sodium

Variations: Fold in shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese or a small amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese after puréeing; mix in cooked, chopped turkey bacon; or use chopped fresh parsley or basil in addition to or in place of the chives.

Adapted from The South Beach Diet Supercharged by Arthur Agatston, MD with Joseph Signorile, PhD. Copyright (c) 2008 by Arthur Agatston, MD.

Have a great weekend!