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: Paleo Mexican Cauliflower "Rice"

What's a Mexican dinner without rice? Well, I never was a big rice fan, but Conrad likes it, so I decided to look for alternate ideas of how to fill the "rice void" in a Mexican meal. I have seen several posts about people using cauliflower as a rice substitute in a lot of dishes. Even though neither of us care much for cauliflower I thought it was worth a try. After all, I bought one today to the tune of $1.29 ... Gotta love living in California! I decided to try different seasonings and spices to "mask" the taste. It didn't need much!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 head cauliflower
1 tomato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
sea salt
ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash and cut cauliflower into flowerettes and microwave for 4 minutes.
2. Peel a tomato and remove seeds and water. Pulse in a food processor.
3. Pulse cauliflower in food processor until it's the consistency of rice.
4. Heat a pan over medium heat for one minute, then add olive oil.

5. Add cauliflower and saute for several minutes making sure it's soft.
6. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and tomato.

7. Stir and simmer for another minute to make sure tomatoes are warm.
8. Serve with chicken, guacamole, and whatever your favorite Mexican dishes are.

Trust me - It does not taste like cauliflower - It tastes like Mexican rice!