One of the styles of food I most enjoy cooking (as well as eating), is Southern comfort food. I grew up in a house where I was blessed with a mother who had dinner on the table every night and it was always delicious (well, except for salisbury steak night – what was she thinking?). Most meals were dripping with butter, loaded with flavor, and always kept you wanting more. It was comfort food at its finest. After going Paleo, I thought I’d never be able to enjoy any of my mom’s wonderful dishes again. I’m happy to say that I was wrong. With a little creativity and often a lot of butter, you can give your family a delicious version of many comfort classics.

This recipe for cauliflower puree is an easy stand in for mashed potatoes, as a side, as a topping for shepherd’s pie, or as the base for a great croquette. They are creamy, full of flavor, and pair with and endless number of main dishes (thinking about serving them with my mom’s meatloaf has me salivating now!). Don’t be afraid of the butter or the cream. If you don’t eat dairy, you can easily substitute some avocado or olive oil. Just be ware, it won’t be nearly as dreamy.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, stems and leaves removed, cut into florets
3 oz. grass-fed butter (Kerrygold is delicious), room temperature
1 cup heavy cream, hot
salt & white pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Set a steamer basket in a pan shallowly-filled with water. Fill basked with cauliflower florets.
2. Turn on heat on high to bring water to a slow boil. Cover and reduce heat to a rapid simmer.
3. Steam cauliflower until cooked through, about 10 minutes (don’t worry, you can’t really over-cook it).
4. Once cooked, remove cauliflower and transfer to a food processor or blender.
5. Add butter and half the cream, blend until smooth.
6. Taste for consistency and add as much cream as you’d like, until the puree is silky smooth.
7. Season liberally with salt and white pepper.