I have been craving potatoes lately.
What's funny about this is the fact that my mom made potatoes every single night when I was a kid, and I loathed them....so much so that I'd palm them and wrap them in my napkin in order to deposit them into the nearest trash receptacle without being detected.
While I still use the potato shell here (which is deliciously edible, by the way), I use cauliflower in place of the potato flesh to put a different, low carb spin on the traditional baked potato. The addition of nutritional yeast and coconut oil gives this a richness and a cheesiness without using tons of butter and cheese, a plus for everyone!
Twice Baked Faux-tatoes
Ingredients
- FOR THE POTATO:
- 1 Yukon Gold or russet potato
- FOR THE CAULIFLOWER:
- 3 c. cauliflower chopped into small florets
- 1 large garlic clove
- water for boiling
- 2 t. coconut oil plus a bit more for rubbing on the skins
- ¼ t. + 1/8 t. sea salt
- 2 T. scallion chopped
- 2 t. nutritional yeast
- black pepper and cayenne to taste
- paprika for sprinkling on top
- coconut oil olive oil, and fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Wash and prick the potato with a fork multiple times.
- Bake the potato for one hour.
- Meanwhile, add the cauliflower, garlic clove, and a dash of salt to a saucepan.
- Add enough water just to cover the cauliflower.
- Bring the cauliflower to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Cover the pan, and let it simmer for 10 minutes until soft.
- Strain the cauliflower from the water, reserving the water in a separate bowl.
- Using a potato masher or a food processor, mash or puree the cauliflower with the coconut oil, sea salt, dashes of black pepper and cayenne, nutritional yeast, and scallions.
- Add the reserved boiling water as needed to give the mix the consistency you desire (I used about one tablespoon).
- Once the potatoes have baked and cooled, slice them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh. Be sure to leave enough flesh to give the potato skin structure!
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Rub the outside of the potato skins with a bit of coconut oil (this makes them nice and crispy!).
- Arrange the empty skins in a small baking dish, and fill them with the cauliflower mix.
- Sprinkle the tops with paprika, and bake them for 30 minutes.
- Garnish them with fresh parsley and drizzle them with a bit more coconut or olive oil.
Notes
Nutrition
As I stated in the recipe box above, the nutritional information actually includes the potato flesh, as I didn't know how to subtract it, so keep that in mind for calories and carbs, especially. The cauliflower mash nutrition facts are as follows:
- Calories: 93
- Fat: 4.9 g
- Carbs: 10.4 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- WW points: 2
I have to say, these are fantastic! My husband and I each had a half, and we kept saying to one another how delicious they were. We topped them with some pumpkin seed 'bacon' bits which added a nice crunch!
I really enjoy eating the crispy skins as well. It gives you a bite of the actual potato, along with the cauliflower mash.
If you don't want to use the potato skins, the cauliflower mash is delicious on its own. It makes a light, yet filling substitute for mashed potatoes.
Serve this with a big green salad for a healthy meal, and I bet you'd still have room for these yummy Chocolate Chip Truffles. 😀
Do you enjoy potatoes or have you ever had faux-tatoes?
ari
what do you do with the scooped-out potato? throw it away?
Lauren
Whatever you want! 🙂
Susan
What a great idea! I tend to want lower calorie carb dishes, so the cauliflower mash would be ideal. I will definitely be looking for an opportunity to use this recipe. 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Love this Lauren! I looove twice baked potatoes but I love this for a lighter version!
Amber
Gorgeous recipe, Lauren. 🙂