Garlicky Cauliflower, Kale and Avocado Puree with Caramelized Mushrooms

Y’all. This is good – like really, really good. And TOTALLY something that you can eat a LOT of without feeling guilty by any means! I mean, I used a bit of butter to caramelize my mushrooms, but you can make it completely vegan by just switching the fat you use.

GOOD.  SO SO SO VERY GOOD.

But I gotta be honest here:  as good as this dish is, I keep looking at these photos and just kind of craving a big fat salty steak. I don’ t know why; I didn’t want a steak when I was eating it. I think I’ll just chalk it up to the mushrooms being so meaty and delicious that I just can’t help it.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest I feel a little freed up to tell you guys that this dish was born out of my need and want to eat more veggies. I tend to subsist off of leftovers during the day, but leftovers rarely contain veggies since we usually end up eating them all the night before. I realize that I could just buy more veggies, but at some point a budget still needs to be stuck to.

Enter frozen cauliflower.

I have to admit that even though I understand the cost of frozen veggies can be very budget-friendly, I don’t always love the texture and therefore end up buying more fresh.  Which is so not a bad thing.  But when I have to limit my intake due to budgetary guidelines a girl’s just got to figure it out.  And you guys, whipping frozen cauliflower and kale and avocado into submission in a food processor will change your life.

OH, and can we talk about caramelized mushrooms for a minute? I saw them last week on Gina’s blog and now I cannot stop eating them. Can’t and won’t.

So all of this wordy long randomness to tell you this: I like steak and I like this dish. The end 🙂

Garlicky Cauliflower, Kale and Avocado Puree with Caramelized Mushrooms

• 1 (16-oz) package frozen cauliflower
• 2 cups fresh roughly chopped kale
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 pint whole cremini mushrooms (about 10-12 mushrooms), wiped clean and quartered
• 1/4 fresh ripe avocado
• 1 Tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Stir slightly to coat, and then leave it alone—really.  Leave them alone for at LEAST 5 minutes! Meanwhile boil the cauliflower and kale for 10 minutes. Drain and add to a high-powered food processor. Add the garlic, avocado, and then salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute or so, scraping down the sides as needed to keep everything incorporated. At this point you can slightly stir the mushrooms; if they are caramelized and done, then season them with a bit of salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve the puree as a base and top with the caramelized mushrooms on top. Enjoy!