You don’t have to fight with yourself (or others) over whether or not you’ll be partaking of the mashed potatoes. Just make this Cauliflower-Parsnip Mash and you’ll be good to go.
The Potato Dilemma
White potatoes are a pretty controversial food in the Paleo world. On the one hand, they are pretty high on the glycemic index and those of us living a Paleo lifestyle generally try to avoid the blood sugar-spiking foods.
On the other hand white potatoes constitute a real, whole food that’s full of nutrients.
In the end, its all a matter of N=1.
If you know you can enjoy the starchy goodness without feeling sick afterwards, by all means, dig into the conventional mashed potatoes. But if you prefer a lower-carb version, this recipe is for you.
Enter Cauliflower
If you’ve been Paleo for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard of mashed cauliflower and maybe you’ve served (or have been served) this dish as a replacement for mashed potatoes. I have found the addition of parsnips brings the general mashed cauliflower dish closer to the original thing.
Cauliflower is great for all sorts of reasons, but parsnips are a starchy root vegetable (like potatoes) that are lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes. That makes them perfect for this Paleo side dish because you get to feel like you’re eating mashed potatoes without the insulin rush.
Whip It Real Good
An immersion blender makes it much easier to get your vegetables the right consistency, but if you don’t have one, it’s not strictly necessary.
A food processor, blender or some old fashioned elbow grease paired with a potato masher will do the job just fine. But, do be careful not to burn yourself if you’re transferring the hot vegetables from the pot to a food processor or blender.
