Why I recommend these
We're a nation who love our Sunday roast and my family is no different! But since focusing our attentions on reducing the simple carbohydrates in our diet, we wanted a replacement for the accompanying roast potatoes.
Even though potatoes are classed as a vegetable and therefore considered "healthy", they are high in the type of carbohydrate that the body digests rapidly, causing blood sugar and insulin to surge and then dip. Foods are rated for their effect on blood sugar on a scale called the glycemic index (GI). GI is a measure of the blood glucose-raising potential of the carbohydrate content of a food compared to a reference value of 100 for pure glucose. If you'd like to know more,this article goes into more detail.
Potatoes have a very high GI of 96 and a 150g serving of boiled potatoes contains the equivalent of 9 tsp of table sugar! There’s a great charity called the Public Health Collaboration and one of the founders, a GP called Dr David Unwin from Southport has created a series of helpful infographics on sugar and its effect on our body. You can find out more here.
So whether we're eating potatoes, a bag of sweets or a glass of orange juice, we're going to be on that "blood sugar rollercoaster" which can have a negative impact on our energy levels, mood and leave us feeling hungry soon after. By eating more healthy fats and protein, we stabilise our blood sugar and feel fuller for longer.
My cauliflower cheese recipe is low carb, deliciously cheesy and satisfying. It's the perfect accompaniment with meat, fish or a nut roast. You could roast a tray of other veggies or pair it with a fresh tomato salad to cut through the richness.
You will need
Serves: 4-5
- 300g cauliflower, cut into florets
- 200g broccoli, cut into florets
- 85g cream cheese
- 100ml double cream
- 25g butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100g hard cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees / gas mark 5.
Steam or boil the cauliflower florets until tender and leave to cool in a rectangular, oven-proof dish.
Steam or boil the broccoli florets until tender and place in a measuring jug.
Add the cream cheese, double cream, butter, garlic powder, mustard, salt and pepper to the measuring jug and using a stick blender, blitz until smooth. Or leave the mixture a little bit chunky!
Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and top with the grated cheese.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the top is golden brown.
