Way back when (technically only a few years ago), hubby and I tried the keto diet. We didn’t continue with it, but there were a lot of takeaways from the experience.
Our biggest takeaway was using cauliflower instead of pasta or potatoes.
We love pasta and potatoes, but we also appreciate how cauliflower complements several of our recipes.
Keep scrolling to find out more.
SOME BOOK INSPIRATION:
“Hmmm… something smells good.” Alyssa from Find My Heart (The Winters Family Book Two) entered the kitchen holding a foil-covered pan. She kissed Isabel’s cheek and set the pan on the counter. “Please tell me you haven’t been cooking all day?”
“Of course, she has,” Drew from Hard to Resist (The Winters Family Book One) said and opened a cabinet to grab some tongs.
“Oh, stop.” Isabel pushed at Drew’s shoulder and rolled her eyes. “What’s this?” She tapped on the top of the foil-covered pan.
“Well, I couldn’t decide what to make.” Alyssa started to remove the foil. “Then, Lexie mentioned Kenzie from Loving Only You (The Winters Family Book Three) special banana split cake, minus the bourbon love.”
“You’re not teasing me right now, right?” Isabel placed her hands on the counter and rose a few inches off the ground.
Alyssa ripped the foil the rest of the way off. “Nope. It really happened.”
Isabel sighed and bent to inhale the aroma drifting up from the pan. “I dream about this dessert, it’s so damn good.”
“You and Lexie are like two peas in a pod because she said the same thing.” Alyssa pointed at the ingredients on the counter. “Um, are those ingredients for a potato salad? I see cauliflower in the bowl.”
“Trust me, once you have this recipe, you’ll never ask about the potatoes again.” Isabel grabbed the mayonnaise. “Once you try the recipe, you’ll beg for my cauliflower mac n’cheese.”
“You may need to get that approved by Lexie first. She is the mac n’cheese queen.” Alyssa laughed and grabbed a piece of cauliflower from the bowl.
“We just won’t tell her; instead, we’ll let her try it first.” They both went wide-eyed, like they had said something blasphemous, and then burst out laughing.
SOME BEHIND THE SCENES:
You can use potatoes if you want, but first, I want to double-dog dare you to try the cauliflower. It adds a new dimension to a classic recipe and is delicious.
I first created the recipe in 2020; we served it with wood-smoked ribs. YUM!
Since then, I’ve used this exact recipe and adjusted it based on what ingredients I have in the house.
Our friend was visiting this year and mentioned that her grandmother added green olives instead of pickles to her recipe. Side note: If you like green olives, you’ll love them in the recipe.
One year, I had a ton of fresh dill in the garden, so I added it.
The heart of the recipe—the eggs, cauliflower, mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper—is never changed. Everything else can be switched or mixed.
Have fun making the recipe (at least once since I double-dog-dared you)!
“No-Potato” Cauliflower Summer Salad
Recipe by Terra Kelly
Prep: 10-15 minutes
(that doesn’t include boiling cauliflower)
Makes: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Large head of cauliflower (~6 cups), cut up into bite-sized pieces
6 hard-boiled eggs, diced
3 stalks of celery (1 cup), diced
5 large dill pickles (1 cup), diced
1 ½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried chopped onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cut the cauliflower into small, bite-sized pieces. Bring water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Let it boil for about 5-10 minutes, or until it’s tender when tested with a fork. You don’t want it too soft. Drain and let it cool completely.
In a large bowl or Tupperware container, add cooled cauliflower, hard-boiled eggs, celery, dill pickles, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder, dried chopped onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Note: You can use potatoes if you prefer. You may need more mayonnaise because the potatoes will absorb it as it sits overnight.
Author Note: If you ensure the cauliflower is fork-tender, the consistency of the cauliflower salad is very similar to traditional potato salad.
Enjoy!
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