This Week in Food: Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Everyone loves mashed potatoes.  Maybe not everyone, but if you don't, go read another blog because you are weird we're all going to make fun of you the second you click off to another site.  Go on. We'll wait.  Okay.  He left. Can you imagine?  The dude doesn't like mashed potatoes.  Loser!  I'd say that potatoes in their whipped, mashed or smashed state with a ton of butter and liberally salted are one of my top five favorite foods.

One variation of mashed potatoes that I have never been on the Love Train about is garlic mashed.  I'm a purist when it comes to my creamy spuds. That is why it was a surprise that this recipe really worked for me in quelling my jones for mashed.

The reality is that there is practically nothing that can justify eating forkfuls of fluffy white decadence unless, it is a special occasion, because they are just that: decadent.  Nothing about them is good for you or will aid in weight loss. Enter cauliflower to the rescue.  I am not going to try to sell you some bill of goods that my whipped garlic cauliflower is going to replace the iconic potato version at Thanksgiving, but for an easy weeknight dinner, I absolutely adore this dish and it has fast become a favorite in our house.  These are nutritional specs for the recipe below. Above, you see them paired with rotisserie chicken and some Brussels sprouts from one of last week's meals.  Thanks to my food stylist Lindsey who captured this when I was asleep at the wheel and neglected to.

If you like yours thinner, add a little more half n half.  A little thicker and you can replace 2 Tbs of the half n half with low fat sour cream.  Adding finely minced fresh parsley or chives would be nice.  Change this up any way you want, but keep calories and fat in mind. Otherwise...what's the point?

I am always looking for feedback on my recipes, so please let me know if you try this, have any issues, or whether you love it, hate it, or just went "meh..."

Garlic Whipped Cauliflower
serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 5 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• a dash of salt
• 6 cups cauliflower florets (about one head) 
• 1/2 cup fat free half n half (use one with no HFCS. if you can)
• 3 Tbs Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (if specs bother you, use white pepper.  I don't mind them.)
• 
  

Method

• Place the garlic, oil and a pinch of salt in a small foil packet and into a 450 degree toaster oven for 20-25 minutes.  It should come out a nice caramel color, fragrant and soft.  Careful!  It's very hot when you open the packet.
• Steaming the cauliflower makes for the best texture.  Boiling, both makes it watery and leaches out some nutrition.  Steam your florets for 15 to 20 minutes or until very tender for the best results.
• Carefully place your steamed cauliflower, garlic and all remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until silky smooth.
• Check seasoning to taste.

Cya next time,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast: A 2 egg omelet with reduced fat cheese and lean ham.  Coffee w/ fat free half n half.

Lunch: I ate at an Indian buffet and indulged in some chicken tika masala, among other mostly vegetable dishes.  I also had a piece of naan.

Dinner ~ TBD

Exercise: 1 mile at the mall after my haircut.  Lookin' snazzy...

Weigh-in: Week 55

Now we're rollin' again!  It was a good week.  I ate well and ate proper.  I need to keep up a reasonable pace if I am going to accomplish my short and long-term goals. I had a few things shake me into reality this past week and I'm totally focused once again.

As you can see I now weigh 269.2 lbs. That is 3.0 for the week and a total of 94.2 lbs down.  We're marching toward 100, folks!  The body fat and water percentages are not going to be reported this week because I inadvertently deleted the photos from my phone before I made note of them.  But rest assured, they were spectacular.

I will try to get some regular posts up during this week, so keep your eyes peeled.

Cya,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp w/ almond milk, coffee w/fat free half n half
Lunch ~ Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai w/chicken
Dinner ~ What you see here is one of my salmon cakes and a salad with homemade miso honey dressing and toasted almonds.  Miso honey!  HA!  There is joke in there somewhere.
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 54

 Sheesh.  I totally forgot to post this yesterday.  After so long, I should be on auto-pilot.  Here are the numbers from Monday's scale.  All things considered, I am surprised.  I was in Maryland this past weekend moving my Mom and I suppose the rigorous exercise slightly outweighed the crap I ingested during the trip.  I didn't eat well, as I seldom do on these excursions.

I managed to lose 0.8 lbs. this week, bringing the total back to 91.2 lbs. lost.  Water percentage rose 0.5% to 42.3 and fat fell 0.7% to 41.1.  Not too shabby.  A fat percentage loss of 0.7% is respectable in one week.

I'll cya soon,

M

What I ate and how I didn't exercise yesterday:

Breakfast ~ 2 packets of Quaker instant oatmeal with 1/2 tsp of Earth Balance spread.

Lunch ~ Chicken Caesar salad, no croutons.

Snack ~ Some sort of energy bar, of which I forget the brand.

Dinner ~ Pictured right, tilapia over Sicilian kale, with raisins and pine nuts and whole wheat couscous.

Exercise ~ None

Weigh-in: Week 53

Down and dirty this week.  Just the facts.  Not an auspicious start to the second year of TDT195.  I gained a slight amount this past week.  The fact that I can fluctuate a few pounds even throughout any given day, I am not too worried about it.  My mid-term goal is to get down to 240 by June 22nd.  I'll speak to that in Wednesday's blog.  The scale shows the 0.6 lb. increase to 273.  The water and body fat percentages are in a dead heat at 41.8% each.





That's all for now.

Cya,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Egg McMuffin and coffee
Lunch ~ Left over filet mignon pizzaiola

Dinner ~ Left over orange ginger salmon over a nice salad (shown here)
Exercise ~ none

One Year Anniversary

One year ago today, the New York Giants were the newly christened Super Bowl champions and I celebrated that day with a large feast and much to drink.  A last supper of sorts.  The following day I set out on a quest for a better life, a quest to lose 168.4 lbs. by my 50th birthday on January 12, 2014.  It was February 6, 2012 that I did my initial weigh-in and penned my first blog post, appropriately named "Welcome".  This year has truly been a transformative experience, to say the least.

Let's look at some of the things that came to pass in the first year of The Drive to 195.  The most obvious point is that the year one helped me shed 91 lbs. of that 168.4.  Honestly, I thought I might be a little further along at this point and probably would if I had been more vigilant over the holidays.  That being said, I am perfectly happy with my slow progress.  Slow means lasting in my book.  I strive for a forever weight loss, not just hitting a number.

In the last year, I have dropped about 9-10 inches around my waist, my shirts have gone from 4X or 5X down to 2x or 3X.  I can now buy off the rack at stores like Walmart or Target.  That's a big deal to someone that knows he will be growing....errrrr....shrinking out them in short order. Here is an odd factoid.  The behind-the-head earmuffs which I wore last year didn't fit all that well.  I assumed they were not well made.  They were just too small for my head.  This year they fit just fine.  I guess I must have looked like the Kool-Aid guy before all of this.  I have even slimmed down my noggin.  Who knew?

I have discovered an affinity, and perhaps a talent, for writing.  I will leave the ultimate judgment of my literary prowess to my readers, but in my humble opinion, I can provide an enjoyable and informative experience for the reader.  With any luck, this will all culminate in a book of insight, advice, and recipes to be released in the 2014 Christmas time frame.

I can now walk about 3 miles without the need for a break and with little or no back pain.  That was previously an impossibility.  I can drive my car without the steering wheel rubbing my stomach.  The same holds true for golf carts, which ruined a number of expensive shirts in the past, leaving black streaks where the cart made a wish on my Buddha belly.  Restaurant booths are no longer an issue and I slide into spots that even I have to look twice at and wonder if embarrassment is looming.  There is a great amount of pride in answering the question "Table or booth?" with a resounding "Booth, please!"

This past year I was able to fly without aid of a seat belt extension for the first time in my memory.  If you want some insight into the life of a fat traveler and a good chuckle, read How Did I Get Here: Part 13.  Even something like getting from one gate to another or walking down the aisle of a jet without having my ass greet those already seated ahead of me has given me back mass amounts of self-esteem.

As for the blog, I usually post milestone tidbits about the statistics.  I probably find them more interesting than most, but just in case, here 'ya go.  In 365 days, I posted 266 times.  Those posts were viewed 14,638 times by readers in over a dozen countries.  While "My Wife Tried to Kill Me On Oct 10, 2008" is still the most read post, my food blog from July 19th of 2012 has taken over the number two spot.  I guess people want to know why soda is so bad for them.

What does 2013 hold in store for me and those who follow my journey? Here is what I expect.  There will be at least 77.4 more pounds shed. Some of that will likely be in the form of very radical plastic surgery.  I am guessing about 20-25 lbs. worth.  I have a great deal of extra skin that will need to be removed so I can lead a more normal life.  While I dread the prospect of undergoing the knife, I am thrilled to think of what is on the other side.  Let me rephrase that.  I don't plan on crossing over to the other side.  Well, you get the idea.

Last night while having dinner with two lovelies, my wife and my sister from another mister, Alex, I committed to my first 5K event to be held on June 22nd of this year.  So I guess that means that I am in training for my first 5K, but not any normal 5K.  Foam Fest more resembles a cross of a 5K event, a Tough Mudder, and the TV show Wipeout!  To learn more of what is in store for me on this 3.1-mile obstacle course, go to www.5kfoamfest.com.

This year I plan to walk 18 holes of golf, get into XL shirts and knock off quite a number of other events on my Dream Bigger list.  I plan to keep tinkering in the kitchen to bring good tasting, healthy fare to your kitchen and mine.  Perhaps I'll even grow more of my own vegetables in a garden trough on the patio.

This blog has been the catalyst for rekindling many old friendships and starting quite a few new ones.  As always, I thank you all.  You are the most important part of why this process has worked and my successes are yours as well.  Stay with me, folks.  This ride is only going to get more exciting in the upcoming months.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 1 grapefruit and 2 pieces of multi-grain toast with Earth Balance spread.
Lunch ~ Grilled chicken with roasted peppers, arugula, and balsamic on a roll.
Afternoon ~ One banana
Dinner ~ I wanted something comforting and hot on a cold night, so I made a simple stew of 98% lean pork, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, pearl onions and celery.  I enjoyed it.
Exercise ~ None.  I better get my ass in gear if I want to do that 5K.

. 



  

Weigh-in: Week 52

Imagine that!  52 weeks of weigh-ins and a healthier lifestyle.  I'll do an special edition of the blog this Wednesday to commemorate the official anniversary date.  I wanted to post a picture of the scale from the inaugural day of The Drive to 195, but apparently I didn't have the forethought to actually snap a photo of the scale until after my first week, when it was more important to show how much I lost.  Bummer.

Here is the scale from this morning.  It shows that I managed to lose 1.6 lbs. last week, even though I hosted a Super Bowl party on Sunday. That seems to be quite an accomplishment, as is the total for the first 52 weeks.  I am down an even 91 lbs., bringing me to 272.4 lbs.  My body fat as of this morning was 41.7 %, down .5% for the week.  Water rose to 41.9%, up .4% and thus I achieved the nexus, where my water percentage crossed over and now exceeds my body fat. 

Thanks for spending the last 52 weeks with me and my scale.  The next year, or so, should be quite interesting.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 egg omelet with chicken sausage, fat free mozzarella, mushroom, onion and pepper.  Coffee w/ fat free half and half
Lunch ~ Biz lunch was chicken soup and a whole wheat pasta dish with chicken and eggplant
Dinner ~ TBD, but probably left over chili from the party.
Exercise ~ none