Parmesan Herb Faux-Zotto

Crazy name, true. Fabulous dish, yes!
Morgan is here with us this weekend. He's now 18. The last time I 'attempted' to serve cauliflower when he was here I made twice baked cauliflower casserole. You'd have thought he was having a seizure or something the way he acted when the serving spoon filled with warm, cheesy cauliflower goodness headed towards his plate!
This time was different. He looked at it. He smelled it. He smiled. He tasted it. He savored it. He went NUTS about it! Hearing his description was like winning a cooking show! He said the consistency, texture and flavor was incredible!
That, coming from an eighteen year old ... I'll take it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 large head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons Rosemary Infused Olive Oil
1 teaspoon chopped Garlic
6 fresh leaves of Lavender plus the buds off a large stalk
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Half & Half
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Sea Salt
Fresh ground Pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash cauliflower and cut it into small pieces. In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower into the size of rice grains.

2. In a heavy pan, heat olive oil, adding salt and pepper and garlic. Sautee garlic until it's golden and aromatic. Add cauliflower, mixing well, to coat evenly.
3. Add lavender and more salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat, cover and allow to cook for 5 -7 minutes.

4. Add half and half, butter and parmesan cheese. Mix well and cover. Allow to cook an additional 5 - 7 minutes.

 After the liquids have thickened ...

5. Serve and enjoy!

RECIPE: Twice Baked Cauliflower Casserole - Low Carb!

This recipe is for those watching carbs ... It's not true Paleo because it has dairy products in it, but since I replaced all sea creatures with dairy, it's perfect for me. This is by far one of the most decadent vegetable recipes I've ever tried. By far.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head fresh cauliflower
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon, divided
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 beaten egg
sea salt and pepper to taste
Chives or other herbs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Boil enough salted water to cover cut up cauliflower.
2. Wash and cut cauliflower into smallish pieces and remove any leaves.
3. Place cauliflower in boiling salt water and return to boil. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until soft.
4. Drain well, keeping in warm pot.
5. Mash cauliflower with a potato masher or equivalent.
6. Add 1 cup cheese, 4 slices of bacon, butter, sour cream, then add beaten egg and seasonings.
7. Pour mixture into a casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese and 2 slices crumbled bacon on top.
8. Return to oven for approximately 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Here's the nutritional information according to My Fitness Pal. Each serving only has 2 net carbs!

RECIPE: Low Carb Pumpkin Clafoutis

Well, my pumpkin craving extends through all parts of the day and I vowed to only make the muffins for breakfast, so it was time to once again make a Pumpkin Clafoutis! I have altered my Paleo version just a little. I used butter rather than coconut oil to reduce the calories ... I used almond milk and pecans rather than coconut milk and walnuts, due to availability ... And, I used Splenda and a little water rather than honey to reduce the calories, and most importantly ... The Carbs. 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup  butter
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/3 cup Splenda
4 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons grated unsweetened coconut
(I prefer to use Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spices, so I just put 2+ teaspoons rather than the individual spices. You may prefer less spices, but I prefer experiencing their flavors mixed with the pumpkin!)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in the microwave.
3. Blend together all ingredients with the exception of the walnuts and coconut. I use my blender to make sure everything blends well. Taste for sweetness and add more Splenda, if you feel it needs it. I also added 2 tablespoons of water to offset the moisture loss from using Splenda instead of honey. Add the chopped walnuts and coconut then pulse a few times to mix.

4. Pour into a well greased 9" deep dish pie plate and bake for roughly 45 minutes - until center is set. 

5. Allow clafoutis to cool before placing it in the refrigerator. It's tasty warm, but it is AMAZING cold!

I mentioned above that this recipe is altered from my original posted recipe from some time ago. (The differences per serving ... Calories: 186 vs 219 and the net carbs: 2 vs 14!!)
Below you will find the nutritional data as per MyFitnessPal:

The Low Carb Version ...

The Paleo Version ...