Marvelous Meatless Meals - Potato and Tofu Vindaloo

It seems I have a little problem....

I have a thing for exotic spices in neat little resealable plastic bags....

Especially when the company that sells them offers free Madagascar Vanilla Beans with your order one month, then free Applewood Smoked Sea Salt the next. And when said company also happens to stock exotic or unusual items like Jalapeno Powder, Za'atar, Honey Powder and numerous varieties of curry powders, cinnamon, and cocoa, all reasonably priced and available in a variety of sizes, free shipping over $40....well, I just can't resist!

And so began my love affair with MySpiceSage.com. I think it's the "free shipping for orders over $40" that gets me. Regular shipping charges are pretty reasonable to begin with, but when I just need one more little nudge to buy items I gaze lovingly at on-line, that's usually the clincher for me!

And unlike some other promotions, I don't feel suckered when I do it (although, I have been on my BEST behavior lately - I refuse to buy anything new until I've opened at least a few more packages of spices!) I have actually delved into my stash and tried many new things, although a few of the more exotics have kind of scared me a little.

Since some of this stuff is a little "out there" for me, I've been kind winging it to find uses for some of these spices. So tonight, inspired by the "Meatless Mondays" craze (and the fact that my Meat-and-Potatoes husband, whose idea of spices is "salt" - not Kosher, not sea, and certainly not applewood smoked....just "salt") is not home tonight, I decided to open my overflowing spice cupboard and use whatever item fell out as part of a meatless meal....and the winner is:

Vindaloo Curry Spice! A fragrant blend of coriander, cumin, red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric.

I had heard of the term Vindaloo before - I think in an interview with Bon Appetit, actor Sir Anthony Hopkins listed his favorite dish as Chicken Vindaloo, an Indian dish but with the influence of those worldy sea-faring Portuguese. From Wikipedia: "The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos", which is a dish of meat, usually pork, with wine and garlic. The dish was originally modified in Mumbai by the substitution of vinegar for the wine, and the addition of red Kashmir chillies (not as spicy but abundant in colour). The dish evolved into the vindaloo curry dish in Goa, with the addition of plentiful amounts of traditional spice and using palm vinegar instead of red wine. Alternate terms are vindalho or vindallo."

I think there's so many reasons why even just the name appeals to me - Sir Anthony Hopkins is one of my favorite actors. Howard's End, World's Fastest Indian, Remains of The Day, Legends of The Fall...all movies I could watch over and over again. He's been in TWO movies that also starred a certain actor I (sigh) admire, Benicio Del Toro. Celebrity stalking (in my dreams) aside, I've always been intrigued by India, probably since my Dad served in the China-Burma-India theater of WWII. And Portugal has always been another obsession of mine - the food, the country, the culture, the music, the people....wrap all those things together and it seems only natural that the vindaloo curry powder would be the one to jump out at me!

So, after browsing around on-line, here's what I came up with for tonight's Marvelous Meatless Meal....

Potato and Tofu Vindaloo

Inspired by THIS recipe, here's the one I came up with, and it was wonderful! I made some changes based on what I had on hand as well as healthier, Weight Watchers-friendly substitutions and a weeknight-friendly process.

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tbsp flour

2 tbsp canola oil, separated

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

5 cloves garlic

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp Vindaloo Curry Spice

About 2 tsp water plus 1 cup water

4 tbsp white vinegar

1 large sweet potato (about 1 1/2 c, diced small)

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed if using canned

1 cup tomato sauce

Direction:

Slice block of tofu horizontally. Press between paper towels to remove excess liquid. (I place a pan on it for about 20 minutes to help squeeze the liquid out.) Cut into cubes. Mix garlic and onion powder with flour; toss with tofu cubes. Set aside.

In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil. Add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove to a blender or small food processor. Add pepper, salt, brown sugar and curry powder with about 2 tsp water. Blend into a paste. Add vinegar and set aside.

Add remaining tbsp of oil to skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Stir fry tofu until browned, about 5 minutes. Add diced sweet potatoes and cook another 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in vindaloo paste, tomato sauce, 1 cup water and garbanzo beans. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly cooked.

Recipe notes:

First, this is not a "true" vindaloo paste - for authenticity, use whole spice seeds, toast them in a pan and grind yourself (MySpiceSage has a lot of whole spices and seeds, too!) Then cook the paste mixture with the tomato sauce and additional oil until fragrant and reduced. But for a quick weeknight meal, I'm all for shortcuts!

This could be served with rice...but I'm saving my carbs for things like chocolate cake or brownies. So I opted to serve mine over steamed spinach. As is, the above recipe is more like 4 servings, but over spinach I can get 6 servings out of one skillet, at only 6 PointsPlus per serving (far anyone following Weight Watchers).

The Verdict: This was delicious! And very mild, as far as curries go. The Vindaloo Curry Spice is more along the lines of Garam Masala - fragrant, warm, exotic, with just a hint of heat, really. I could totally see myself adding some dried chili powder to this to make it more of a traditional spicy vindaloo. And I'm a wimp when it comes to spiciness!

Lovely Leftovers - Mediterranean Fish Tacos

The other night, I was in the mood for fish and in the mood for something "Mediterranean"...tomatoes, basil, mint, kalamata olives (which I suddenly have found myself suddenly loving after despising for many, many years...), so I stopped by the local fish market and splurged on some halibut and set off to find a recipe that would transport me to Greece or Italy.

While I went back and forth between creating a recipe or finding the right one, I decided to play around with a couple ideas I had...

First, a bulb of fennel had been sitting in my refrigerator for almost too long, and I needed to do something with it. I decided to roast it with some other veggies, add some chopped tomatoes and seasonings and call it a Mediterranean salsa of sorts....

I love when experiments turn out successful!

The end result was Roasted Fennel and Tomato Salsa. I roasted fennel, onions, garlic and red pepper, and mixed it with fresh tomatoes. You could leave everything raw, too, or you could roast the tomatoes. But I love the sweetness of roasted fennel and onions, but not mushy overcooked tomatoes, so I went half and half. This really came out well! I can see it as a side for fish or chicken, or even as a dip for toasted pita wedges or a bruschetta topping.

Next up was something to make with this gorgeous bunch of fresh mint I bought at Davidian Farms - it called to me from between the cilantro and parsley. I was getting ideas for uses for my new "salsa" so I decided to make this with half the mint...

Zesty Mint Pesto.

Half mint, half parsley, garlic, shallot, toasted walnuts and olive oil. I honestly don't eat a lot of mint, but I have found that I enjoy it.

So, since I spent so much time being creative with my condiments, I was running out of ideas for my fish dinner. I ended up finding a perfectly lovely halibut recipe on Allrecipes, Easy Mediterranean Fish...halibut baked in foil packets with tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, capers and seasonings. It was DELICIOUS!!!!

In the background is another fabulous side dish from AR, Herbed Greek Roasted Potatoes with Feta Cheese. Oh, my! I highly recommend that one!

So, I had leftover halibut (that they don't exactly give away these days, so you KNOW there was no way the dogs were getting their chops on this one) and a couple of interesting condiments. Whatever shall I do?

How about Mediterranean Fish Tacos? After all, when you think Mediterranean, you think tacos, right?

If I was the kind of girl who planned ahead, I would have had some nice sundried tomato and basil wraps to use, but I used plain old flour tortillas, warmed slightly in the microwave. A little reheated fish, along with the toppings, some Roasted Fennel and Tomato Salsa and a dribble of Zesty Mint Pesto....

Fold it over and enjoy!

I totally forgot feta cheese! I meant to add some, but I just couldn't restrain myself any further! These were really, REALLY tasty! So good that I might not wait for leftover fish to have them again!

And my two new concoctions have lots of promise...I'm planning on using the pesto on some pasta, a marinade and to toss some roasted potatoes in. The salsa will be a great side to chicken, fish or maybe I'll do that bruschetta type appy I was thinking of. Maybe even use it - or both - on some funky new pizza!

Healthy Choices - Revamped Egg Salad and More

One of the cards that has always been stacked against me in my quest for a slimmer waistline has been the fact that in general, I just don't like fat-free foods...things like dressings, cheeses, mayonnaise. Things like that. I've always said they seem to try to overcompensate for the lack of fat by adding too much sweetness - in the form of either sugar or artificial sweeteners. I don't know if it's the non-fat part I hate, or the sickeningly sweet part!

On sandwiches, I am usually perfectly happy with mustard, but then comes that craving for one of those mayo-based sandwich fillings - tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad.... and as much as I've tried to like the low fat or fat free versions of those, I just don't, and I walk away from my plate feeling let down, somehow, and looking for something else to appease me.

Usually something chocolate.

When my daughter asked for hard-boiled eggs the other day - she LOVES them, but will only eat the whites! - my mind immediately thought "When was the last time you had egg salad?" I'm not a huge egg salad fan, but when the craving hits I really, really, REALLY want it! As the eggs were cooking on the stove, I browsed through the refrigerator, reading labels, calculating "points" (I'm doing the Weight Watchers thing again, and kind of in the WW Zone, so to speak!) I tried looking at alternatives for the big gob of mayonnaise that would have historically found its way into my egg salad. I know people use yogurt as a mayo substitute, but the thought of yogurty egg salad didn't appeal to me. What did I have on hand that could maybe cover up that yogurt flavor? Whatever it was, it would have to be good, because I was already hell-bent on making a healthy egg salad using one whole egg and a couple whites only. Not only would it have to cover up yogurt, it would have to cover up the fact that a couple rich, creamy yolks were missing, having been sacrificed to the dogs. (Insert dog burp and happy tail-wagging here)

This came to my rescue.

A nice spicy dijon mustard which would add flavor as well as a hint of yellow, tricking the eyes into thinking there were more egg yolks in the egg salad.

Dijon had an accomplice, too!

One of the most under-utilized items in my cupboard. I've never actually been sure if I liked them or not, but I always seem to have capers on hand.

I went on, measuring out some non-fat yogurt, a spoonful of mustard, and I did add a spoonful of mayonnaise for a little bit of luxury, then capers, scallion and salt and pepper. Stirred in my one chopped whole hard-boiled egg, and two hard boiled egg whites, pulled out a nice low-carb, multi-grain wrap and some fresh veggies, and this was my lunch:

And it worked! I really didn't feel like I was being cheated, and there was very little of that "diet" taste.

Here's my new egg salad recipe - even if you want to use whole eggs, this ended up being a great way to cut back on the mayo:

Lighter Egg Salad Wraps (2 servings)

Ingredients

1 whole hard boiled egg

2 additional hard boiled eggs, yolks removed (if doing the lighter version)

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 tsp dijon mustard ( a nice spicy one)

1 1/2 tsp capers, drained and chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise ( I use a canola-based mayo)

Salt & pepper to taste

2 8" multi-grain low carb tortillas (or other bread item)

Lettuce

Cucumber Slices

Chopped fresh dill or paprika (optional)

Directions

Chop eggs.

Mix together yogurt, mustard, capers, scallion, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stir in eggs.

Arrange sliced cucumber and lettuce on each tortilla and top with half the egg salad. Sprinkle with dill or paprika, if desired, roll up and serve.

But wait! There's more!

Yes, the whole inspiration for this egg salad actually came from something I had made the weekend before to use up some leftover salmon. Here's my Salmon Salad recipe (the dressing part actually makes a nice tartar sauce, too!)

Dijon Salmon Salad With Lemon and Capers

Ingredients

4 or 5 oz. cooked salmon (about 1 1/2 cups, flaked), chilled
1 1/2 tsp. capers, drained and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, dijon mustard and lemon juice.
Stir in capers, dill and scallion.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(This can also be used as a nice tartar sauce)
Fold in flaked salmon.
Serve on top of salad greens, in a sandwich, on a toasted English muffin, as a spread for cracker, etc....

Sunday Morning Smoothie: Pineapple Berry Blast

SLUUUUURRRP!

Way back when I started writing this blog, I came up with the idea of doing Sunday Morning Smoothies. I like smoothies for a quick breakfast treat, and by making them at home I can be sure of what goes into them. In addition to costing about $4 or $5 for a medium (and costing you 400 to 1,000 calories a pop), a lot of the coffee shop smoothies contain dyes, artificial flavors and fruit-flavored high fructose corn syrup. If I'm going to drink a 600 calories beverage, it better pack a pretty serious nutritional punch. And they just don't, usually.

These days there are healthier versions of smoothies on the market - Starbucks actually has a couple pretty healthy ones (made without any of the nasties you find at other places) that run less than 300 calories for a 24 ounce drink, and contain around 15 g protein, 6 g fiber and between 1.5 and 4.5g of fat. If you're making this a meal, that's not a bad choice!

But me? I'm cheap. And I like to photograph my food - they look at me weird when I do that at the coffee shop. And I've kind of developed my own little formula for making a smoothie. I always start out with plain yogurt and a half of a frozen banana. Then I add fruit, milk or juice, and if necessary a little sweetener. I also might throw in some ground flax, wheat germ or even some sort of nut butter for a little extra protein. Throw it all into a blender, push the button, pour and enjoy.

I'm going to try to keep up this Sunday Morning Smoothie trend. I kind of stick to the same things for breakfast during the week, so it's nice to treat yourself on the weekends. BUT, I'm not ready to go so far as to bake something or make French toast. I've been tracking like crazy over the past two weeks, getting in a little more exercise and I even joined Weight Watchers on Friday - I'm down 4.2 lbs. since January 1st and got my first reward yesterday when I tried on a pair of jeans I had not been able to fit into for the past five years...and they fit! And fit well, I might add.

Here's this week's Sunday Morning Smoothie - it's about 320 calories, but there's 10g of fiber and about 7g protein. Looking at it as a meal, that's pretty good!

PINEAPPLE BERRY BLAST SMOOTHIE:

1/2 cup nonfat yogurt, plain or vanilla

1/2 medium banana, frozen and sliced

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned and drained

3/4 cup skim milk (give or take)

1 tbsp. ground flax

Blend, pour and enjoy!

Then, it's off to do some housework. I have a few extra chores this week because yesterday was arts and crafts day at our house.....

Sorry, Elsa!

Five-Layer Mexican Dip - A Healthy Version

A few weeks ago I happened to catch an episode of Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on Food Network and she whipped up something that sounded...and looked...absolutely delicious to me.  I found myself daydreaming about it, much like I do gorging on chocolate or hitting it big in the lottery or finding myself stranded on a deserted island with Benicio Del Toro, until I could resist no longer.

And unlike overindulging in chocolate or fantasizing about being stranded in a desolate place with Benicio Del Toro instead of a somewhat more prudent choice, like Survivorman's Les Stroud, THIS fantasy is actually pretty good for me! 

My new best friend, Ellie, came up with a delicious and healthy version of a Five-Layer Mexican Dip, and let me tell you, it is absolutely refreshing and delicious!  Ellie's recipe can be found here, and you know me, I tweaked and have made this three times so far, usually from memory, so of course I have yet to make it the same way twice.  But if you just follow the basic theme, you really can't mess this one up.

Start out with your first layer - usually refried beans or even seasoned ground beef, but this time a simple but yummy black bean dip that is wonderful on it's own as a spread or dip.  And it's so easy!  

In your food processor, puree up some sauteed onion, garlic, cumin, and a chopped chipotle pepper (about 1 tbsp) with a can of drained and rinsed black beans.  Add a couple tablespoons of water to get the right consistency.

Next, spread the bean dip layer into the bottom of an 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" dish - glass if you like, because layers can be so pretty, but not necessary.

Then, mash an avocado with some lime juice and spread that over the bean dip layer.

I only had one avocado this time, and it was a bit on the smallish side, so it looks a little skimpy.  However, even just a taste of avocado is enough to give the dip some rich, creamy flavor.

Next, top with a layer of corn...

This time I used canned corn with chilis, but I highly recommend using roasted corn (I get it at Trader Joe's in the frozen section) with some chopped red or vidalia onion and some cilantro.  Adds not only color, but sweetness and crunch!  One time I didn't have corn so I used some chopped yellow pepper and zucchini with onions and cilantro - that worked, too!

Next whip up a simple tomato salsa - I used two big, juicy plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, some chopped vidalia onion, lime juice, cilantro and a big jalapeno fresh from the garden.  Those beautiful tomatoes were NOT from my garden - we got hit with this really ugly tomato blight this summer, and the few tomatoes that survived are pretty sad looking.

Oh, and if you get to this point and realize you forgot to put the chipotle into the bean dip, just add it to the salsa here.

Next, top with just a little shredded cheese - I used a mix of full fat extra sharp cheddar and reduced fat mild cheddar.

Grab yourself some yummy Baked Tostito Scoops and dig in.....

Heavenly and delicious!  Thank you, Ellie!!! 

Sunday Morning Breakfast Burger

Inspiration comes from all different places.

Sometimes it comes from a song, or a line of poetry.  Some find their inspiration from religion.  Some from loved ones.  Maybe once in a while it comes from a thriving vegetable garden, or a baby bird testing its wings.  Or waves crashing on a shoreline at sunset...

Sometimes my culinary inspiration comes from Julia Child...and yes, sometimes Rachael Ray.

I'm not a huge Rachael Ray fan, but I don't hate her either.   The "garbage bowl" was an interesting idea that I use occasionally, but I'm not all that into using the term "EVOO", or "stoup", and sometimes I feel like I want to pelt her with throat lozenges or douse her with herbal tea and honey.  I don't hate her cooking, but I've also never really been inspired to make any of her recipes or buy her cookbooks.  Thirty minute meals? I'll put her out of business when I publish my "15-minute meals" book...or maybe "14-Minute", just to be safe....

One thing I like about her, though, is that she is NOT a trained chef, never went to culinary school, and yet, here she is - something of a cooking and entertaining mogul.  Hmmm...there is hope for me yet!

So on this bright and sunny Sunday morning, after a night of Valentine's Day hedonism and debauchery (I had TWO glasses of wine.....), I was craving something healthy, yet hearty for breakfast.  And in my mind, as I stumbled through my brand new "Walk Away The Pounds" DVD (which I LOVE, by the way!), my mind drifted back to an episode of 30-Minute Meals where she made chicken and apple sausage patties.  As I finished my workout, and contemplated oatmeal for breakfast (again.....) I found myself drawn to the computer, and navigated my way to this recipe on Foodnetwork.com

Apple-Maple Chicken Sausage Breakfast Sammies

"Sammies".....yeah, that's another one I don't use....EVER!

But I do tweak, and here's what I ended up doing:

Chicken Sausage Burgers with Grilled Apple Slices

1 tbsp. EV...er, I mean, olive oil

1 lb. ground chicken breast

1 Granny Smith apple, cored (I left peel on)

1/4 cup finely minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. Bell's Seasoning or other poultry seasoning

1 1/2 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. dried thyme

Lots of freshly cracked pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

Dash cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Finely chop about half of the apple.  Reserve the remaining half (to be sliced later)

Combine the chopped apple, chicken, onion, garlic and all the seasonings in a bowl and moosh together.  (See, I can use cute, annoying words too!)

(Oh, and by the way, this morning I halved the recipe as I had a half pound of chicken to use up.  just in case you notice your's looks different....)

Shape into small patties - I got three from a half pound, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say you should have six.  You can, of course, make them bigger or smaller.  I'm not with the sausage patty police (Hello, Emeril!  Now shoo...go away)

Heat your grill pan and brush with olive oil.  Place the chicken patties on the pan.

Let them grill for a good 4 minutes, then flip over.

Ooooh...grillmarks....

Grill for another 2 minutes or so.  Meanwhile, slice the remaining half apples into 1/4" slices and place on the grill.

I kind of pressed them down a few times, and after about a minute or two, flipped them over.

You want the apples to be still firm, not mushy. Another 2 minutes ought to do it, and by then your chicken patties should also be cooked through.

Toast a nice multigrain English Muffin or your other choice of bread.  Top with a sausage patty and a couple grilled apple slices.  

I thought about cheese, but skipped it.  The chicken was savory and delicious, and the apples lent a nice sweetness to the sandwich, it just didn't need cheese and I didn't need the extra calories.

Mmmmm! Thanks for the idea , Rachael!

I wrapped the leftover sausage patties and popped them in the freezer, with intentions of reheating in the microwave for perhaps a Wednesday Morning Breakfast Burger! :)

A Tale of Two Cauliflowers

So there I was, minding my own business, catching up on some of my favorite foodie websites, when I found myself at Pioneer Woman's place.   If you haven't seen her website, you MUST!  I just adore her stories, her photography, her cooking, her life - calf nuts and all.  In fact, go ahead, check it out, and in an hour or so come back to my marvelously mundane world....I need a nap anyway.

What?! Back so soon?  Oh well, isn't she cool?  Everything she says or does turns to gold in my mind.  And you know what I've noticed about her recipes? She can take something I've never really been interested in, never really been tempted by and when SHE posts about it, suddenly I feel like I have to have it.  Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Thingys?  I'm not crazy about bacon, nor was I into jalapeno popper thingys, yet I see her photos, read her commentary and I HAVE TO MAKE THEM!  Same thing with Creamed Spinach.  There's got to be something subliminal going on here.  Because THIS time it was PW's Mom's Cauliflower Soup that lured me in.  

I don't even LIKE creamed soups, except for my Mom's New England Clam Chowder, which is actually rather on the thin side as far as clam chowders go, as she uses milk, not cream.  I don't even really like soups unless the mood strikes me, and then they are usually veggie, bean and/or pasta in a tomato or clear broth.  But as I scrolled through the steps to making this soup, something came over me...I'm not sure, but I think she may have subliminally photoshopped Benicio Del Toro pics in her photos, because suddenly this was the most wonderful recipe I had come across in a while!  I was craving something I had never had before, never wanted before, but something I was inexplicably attracted to...the Benicio Del Toro of soups!   

(Just kidding, dear.)  <-- I said that to my HUSBAND, not Benicio, by the way....

Problem:  Half and half?  Whole milk?  Real butter?  A heaping blob of sour cream? No can do.  I would have a butt the size of Oklahoma if I were to start making THAT a habit!  But it got me thinking, how can I achieve something similar, shave off some of the fat and calories, yet keep the same level of flavor? 

Solution:  Garlic Roasted Cauliflower (from Allrecipes...of course); skim milk; just a dab of low fat sour cream at the end.

Step One:  Make Garlic Roasted Cauliflower - except I omitted the parmesan, herbs...just cauliflower, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and mince about two cloves of garlic.  Place in a baking dish like so....

...drizzle with olive oil.  I know olive oil is fat, but you have to be a little generous here - I'm guessing two tablespoons - enough to coat so the cauliflower and garlic do not burn.

Place in a 350 degree oven, and bake for about a half hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, use PW's Mom's recipe as a guideline, and chop up some onion, carrots and celery...

...and saute' in a bit more olive oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent.

When it comes out of the oven, add the Roasted Garlic Cauliflower...

Let it cook for about 10 minutes, then add about 2 cups of chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer another 10 minutes.  I forgot to add bay leaves - I'd do it here next time.  I like to mash up the cauliflower a bit...I toyed with running this through the food processor, but laziness prevailed.  I'm glad it did!  This worked just fine and resulted in a much better texture than the gruel that would have resulted from the processor....

I tried to lighten up the white sauce a bit by using 2 tbsp of Smart Balance 50/50 spread - if I had regular Smart Balance on hand, I would have used that.

I used a heaping tbsp. of flour whisked into two cups of skim milk, added it slowly and whisked it until it boiled and thickened up like so....

I'm used to making a roux with butter, flour, and THEN whisking in milk, but this worked too.

Add that to the cauliflower mixture, and let it simmer another 10 minutes or so.   When it looks done, it is.  I tasted to adjust seasonings and it needed NOTHING!  

When serving, I measured out (seriously, I measured out...) one tbsp of light sour cream per serving, and stirred it in.  It really gave the skim milk base a little extra oomph!

And here's my lunch....

A lot of times when I try to lighten up dishes, they just don't hold up.  This was not one of those times!  There's no Benicio Del Toro paddling around in here...yet it still calls my name.  Go figure!  Sure there's some fat, but the dairy fat and calories have been greatly reduced, AND there's also a pretty good sized serving of veggies in here - at least a cup - to put a dent into today's "5-A-Day" servings of fruits and vegetables.

Now if I can just come up with a way to make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno thingy's fat- and calorie-free....