Product: Zero Cuisine Garlic, Herbs & Sea Salt Cauliflower Mash – $9.90+/-
Sometimes trying to find balance in your diet isn’t easy. There are some days my macro and micro nutrients are so out of whack that I have a hard time seeing where things went awry. That being said…I am always looking for new and inventive ways to have a food that I love, minus the guilt and the excess.
Enter Cuisine Cube! For those of you just tuning in, I have been a firm supporter and happy subscriber of Cuisine Cube for awhile now. But, Cuisine Cube has gone through some changes as of May. No longer do they strictly only offer gluten-free cubes. In addition to their gluten-free option, they now also offer Artisan and Vegan cubes as well. The Artisan cube means that you have no food allergies and foods that contain common food allergens will be included. The Vegan cubes contain products that are dairy and animal free. And, they still have the Gluten Free cubes, which will have products that contain no gluten or wheat. These box subscriptions start at $34.99/month. And, part of the charm is that you will receive 5-6 full-size (not sample size) products. WOOT! These usually fall into every meal category for the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dessert…with an added bonus from time-to-time. So, if you’re really interested in being introduced to the smaller, lesser-known, artisan companies, give Cuisine Cube a try!
So, when my February 2015 (Happy V-Day) Cuisine Cube arrived, I was happy, excited, elated, and over-the-moon happy to find an easy-to-prepare (not that the real thing is difficult, but this was certainly less time consuming) Cauliflower Mash from Zero Cuisine. Now, I have heard and even made cauliflower mash before, but this was the first time I ever saw it come in packaged form. I was beyond intrigued. And yet, the perfect moment to use it never quite arrived…until just recently when I spotted a recipe for Portobella Mushroom Steaks. What goes best with a steak (of sorts) than potatoes. So, why not replace the mashed potatoes with something a bit healthier and lower in calories and carbohydrates? It was ideal.
Zero Cuisine brings you a leaner, better-looking cousin of the traditional mashed potato. Their Cauliflower Mash, available in two flavors – Garlic, Herbs & Sea Salt and Wasabi & Chives – is a low carb, low calorie, low GI, gluten-free, preservative-free, high fiber, high in vitamins, all natural product that can easily replace your favorite starchy carbs with low carb vegetables which just about every diet recommends. From the Ketogenic, Atkins, Paleo, diabetic diets…reducing carbohydrate intake is highly touted. Zero Cuisine…just makes it easier for you to enjoy a substitute for starchy carbs without any guilt or any cravings for the carb-laden real thing. Cuisine Cube included the Garlic, Herbs & Sea Salt version in the February cube.
But, how good can a powdered form of cauliflower mash be? Well…just as good, but healthier for you, than those powdered potato flakes that turn into mashed potatoes. Honestly. I had my doubts upon opening up this little package, but it was so quick, easy, and really tasty when all was said and done.
Let’s face it…it doesn’t get any easier than this…
In a saucepan, heat up water (4 ounces per serving, so if you make the entire thing like I did…2 cups of water) and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and add 1/3 cup of the Cauliflower Mash powder (or…if you make the entire pouch instead of one serving…just pour the entire package) into the hot water. Stir continuously until desired consistency is achieved, which for me was in less than 3 minutes. Might have only taken a minute. For extra creamy flavor, add butter and milk if your diet allows.
I didn’t add butter or milk, but I did get a beautiful, rich, thick cauliflower mash when all was said and done. It was like really creamy mashed potatoes. Great consistency. Of course, the biggest test comes with the taste.
Zero Cuisine does a phenomenal job of capturing the texture of mashed potatoes with their Garlic, Herbs & Sea Salt Cauliflower Mash. I was actually quite impressed as I watched the powder turn into this gorgeous swirl of thick mash. And, with only a lack of a bit of seasoning, the flavors really stood out too. The garlic and herbs don’t overpower the cauliflower itself. It just would have been a bit bland if not for the seasoned portobello mushroom steak I was serving, which came with a sauce that I drizzled over the entire dish. It was an amazing addition to the meal and took a lot of prep time out of the occasion. It’s always best to make things yourself, but this is a healthy and very easy alternative when time restrictions play a huge part in your life.
Let’s talk about ingredients, shall we? The Zero Cuisine Garlic, Herbs & Sea Salt Cauliflower Mash is made up of dried cauliflower, garlic and spices, sea salt, and guar gum. It is naturally gluten-free, trans fat free, free of saturated fat, and cholesterol free. Gotta love it. Also, every pack of this cauliflower mash is made from approximately 2.6 pounds of fresh cauliflower and every serving of Zero Cuisine Cauliflower Mash contains 1-1/2 servings of vegetables.
As far as nutrition information goes…you’re going to love this even more. A serving size is 1/3 cup package or 2/3 cup prepared. There are 4 servings per container. In one serving, you will be consuming 60 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 15 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 10 grams sugars, and 3 grams protein. This is spectacular given that a regular serving of mashed potatoes would provide 160 calories, 24 grams carbs, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, and 445 mg sodium HUGE difference. Feel good about your food. Eat something that is better for you and your body in the long run.
I need to find out where I can find this in my area, because Zero Cuisine made prep and cooking so easy. Especially on hectic nights, this is something that is worth having in the pantry. Loved the flavors and the texture of the Zero Cuisine Garlic, Herbs & Sea Salt Cauliflower Mash. And it was because of Cuisine Cube, that I now know it exists. Happiness comes in all sorts of packages!
The Celiathlete 