I am not sure why it took me so long to try almond milk, but I fell in love with it the moment I tasted it. This one is my favorite, the plain and lighter version made by Silk. It is part of my daily routine now, half a glass of almond milk right before going to work, and another half after lunch. Shockingly cold is best, by the way. Phil used it in his lunch smoothies in place of yogurt and loved it too. My passion for almond milk started me on a virtual expedition in the internet chasing for recipes using it in cooking. I was pleasantly surprised to find quite an extensive number of possibilities. My first adventure with Silk was a winner: cauliflower puree. I share with you the recipe, inspired by Food and Wine.
SILKY CAULIFLOWER PUREE WITH ALMOND MILK
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 shallot, diced
Half gallon Light Almond Milk (or slightly less)
salt and pepper
Prepare the cauliflower by removing the outer leaves and the central core. Cut the florets off, slicing the large ones in two or three pieces.
Heat the oil on a skillet. Saute the celery, onion, and red bell pepper until the onion is golden, and the mixture is very fragrant. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Add the cauliflower to the skillet and cook it on high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring often. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan so that the cauliflower fill it no more than halfway up. Add almond milk to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan keeping the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
Transfer the cooked cauliflower to the bowl of a food processor, keeping the almond milk in the pan. No need to drain it completely, the amount of liquid that stick to the florets will help ensure a nice texture. Process until smooth. If necessary, add a little more warm almond milk. Test for seasoning. Serve warm.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
As I said, my first adventure with almond milk in cooking won’t be the last. In fact, I have this recipe on my “to try soon” folder, and hope I can actually switch it into the “tried and true” in the near future. One store in town normally carries Marcona almonds, which is the only tricky ingredient to find. With that in hand, I should be good to go.
Probably because I used light almond milk instead of full fat, the liquid seemed to separate a little as the cauliflower cooked. It definitely did not harm the dish, so if you use the light version, ignore its looks. It will all come together in a silky happy ending!
Our dinner felt quite special, considering it took place at the height of our kitchen renovation. Here is the full menu for that evening: roasted chicken thighs marinated in beer-soy-orange (marinade to be blogged about soon), green beans with almonds, and the cauliflower puree. Mr. Hamilton roasted the chicken thighs, Mr. Breville broiled the skin for a couple of minutes, and our single burner induction stove took care of the rest. A few sautéed almonds on top of the puree tied both side dishes together quite nicely… even if I say so myself… 😉
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Bewitching Kitchen 
Sorry, cauliflower doesn’t do anything for me but the rest of the meal is a winner. I’m new to green beans (cooking and eating) and wonder if you know of a way to figure out if the green beans you’re buying in the grocery store are nice and tender?
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oh, dear…. first I hit you wiyh cilantro and then I place a huge bowl of cauliflower in front of you! I am so glad you still come to say hello, though. 😉
I go for green beans that have some “snap” when you hold them, that do not feel limp. Also a bright color, vivid green usually means they will be good. If you can find the thin ones, they are almost always perfect at the store
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I’m almost tempted to try cilantro again. So many recipes seem to use it and they DO sound tasty. Maybe I’ll be ready to try cauliflower again in a few years.
I try to like veggies and add new ones to my diet. I recently had some some nice tender green beans at a Greek restaurant which I really enjoyed. A couple of weeks later I had some green beans in a stir fry at the local casino buffet. They were tough and stringy so I left them on my plate … I’d really like to buy a small sample to try cooking myself but don’t want to get tough ones. My parents were gardeners and grew and cooked them (actually they were always OVER cooked) but I turned my nose up at them. I guess it’s time to give them a try again. 🙂
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I have never tried to make a mashed cauliflower… It will be a what to try soon!!! It is for sure a less caloric mash than mashed potatoes. Thanks for the recipe, Sally!
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A lot less calories than potatoes, and absolutely delicious!
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I make cauliflower purees and love the idea of using almond milk.
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Interesting twist, don’t you think?
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I didn’t realize almond milk was high in fat to begin with ;-). We love cauli purée too! Lovely recipe.
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I thought you would enjoy this one… 😉
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Lovely looking cauliflower recipe! I know I would love this.
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I hope you try it – I am thinking that a cauliflower soup with almond milk could be great… a nice experiment to try
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I love using Silk almond milk! It’s my favorite of all the almond milk varieties. I’m sure it made this mashed cauli extra delicious.
(Also. Hugs.)
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I have been meaning to try cauliflower puree for ever and since I love almond milk I will try it your way.
I love almond milk with just about everything so I think it will work perfectly here too
Sorry for missing quite a few of your posts, things have been crazy and I will do my best to catch up
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Don’t even worry about commenting… I know you will stop by at some point, and even if you disappear for a year or two, I’ll be here with a smile for you!
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You are always too kind Sally. I appreciate that deeply
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I am so impressed! We would be eating sushi, subway and pizza for weeks if I didn’t have a proper kitchen to work in – and here you made this beautiful meal. So impressed! I too love almond milk. I switched from milk a few months ago. I never liked milk, but tolerated it in my cereal. Now I put almond milk in my cereal and drink it to the last drop. So good. I’ve used it in lots of recipes in place of milk and no one seems to notice (not even the kids who say the don’t like it). 😉
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We are eating sushi too, but going to other types of restaurants is always a bit iffy for us, We never feel that great afterwards. It’s much better to take a deep breath and cook something very simple at home, so for the most part we do it. Not very easy, though. We are a bit tired of the whole thing and now it’s at the toughest point because they are painting the cabinets and every single one had to be emptied. It is hectic in here. 😉
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Hmmmmm, anotei a receita 🙂
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Oh, dear, I have a full kitchen that’s been neglected so now I have no more excuses not to cook:) I’ve made cauliflower puree before, but never thought of these ingredients, it would be excellent!!
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