On my eating plan there is no white potatoes for 3 months. After that I can have them once a week, which is plenty. I miss my chili potato, but bean chili goes great over sweet potatoes too!

In the winter it’s fairly hard to give up mashed potatoes so I came up with this compromise. You can just use cauliflower or parsnips by themselves. I just like them together too. You could also add in wasabi or roasted garlic to make them fancy.

Slow Cooker Beyond Easy Faux Mashed Potatoes (gluten-free)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 – 8  hours

• 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small ‘trees’ (frozen is fine too)
• 4 -5  parsnips, chopped (peel if not organic)
• optional – 2 cloves garlic, minced
• filtered water
• 1/2 – 1 cup milk of your choice (I use unsweetened soy or almond milk)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance
• salt and pepper to taste

The night before: Peel the parsnips if they aren’t organic. Chop the parsnips and break down the cauliflower. Store in the fridge until morning.

In the morning: Place the veggie in the slow cooker. Add about 1-2 inches of water. Cook on low 6 – 8 hours.

Before Serving: Pour out some of the water if needed – you don’t want this to be too soupy. Add 1/2 cup milk and Earth Balance and use immersion blender. You have to keep at it until they look like mashed potatoes. (They will – I promise!). Season to taste.

Serve with some mushroom gravy over it for a special treat.