So when I was pregnant with my littlest, one of the biggest cravings I had was grits. I'd never been a huge fan of grits before, but all of the sudden, it was all I wanted to eat. I would make cheese grits, top it with crumbled bacon, and that made unborn Hannah and I both very happy. 😂
Ever since, things like that have been a nostalgic kind of comfort food and one of the things I miss since starting Keto. When I make certain meals, I wish there was a kind of starch that would pair well that wasn't cauliflower rice or mash. I don't mind either of those things, but the texture of pre-made riced cauliflower has never been my favorite (I know I'm not alone). I've learned to make mashed cauliflower work, but only after a good bit of working on it do I really find it palatable.
Anyway, the other day I was thinking, and I asked my husband if he thought I could make a "grits" knockoff by finely shredding cauliflower into granules and cooking it as if it were grits, and he suggested I aim for more of a "polenta."
The main difference between the two is that grits are made from white corn and polenta is made from yellow corn and is cut into coarser pieces than grits. Grits are a staple in southern style cuisine, while polenta is a staple of Italian cuisine. In the end, I think what I've created here could pass as either. I made it to go with my Mississippi pork roast, and though those two things don't "obviously" go together, they really did work well together. I somehow even managed to replicate the sweetness of corn without using any starchy ingredients, so this was a winner for me.
Recipe for Keto Polenta:
- 1 head of fresh cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 oz goat cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp each: salt, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley
Put your cauliflower florets in your food processor. I set my food processor to "puree" because I wanted to get it as finely ground as possible.
Your cauliflower should be ground into tiny bits, like so:
Melt your butter on medium-high heat:
Add your cauliflower to the skillet and sautee for a couple minutes.
After it has cooked for a few minutes, add in your chicken broth. Stir occasionally while the chicken broth continues to absorb and cook off. This is sort of the "boiling" process that will cook your cauliflower.
After that has cooked for about 10-15 minutes and most of the liquid is absorbed, add your heavy cream (I forgot a picture of this step - oops) and stir to incorporate. Stir for a few minutes until the cream is hot. Reduce to medium-low.
Add in your seasonings, goat cheese and parmesan. Stir until the cheeses have melted in with the other ingredients and let it remain on the medium-low heat for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
And you're done! If you want it to be a bit "looser" or soupier, you could always add a bit more cream and serve. I served it with my Mississippi Pork Roast and it was delicious!
If you make this recipe, make sure to use #TheKetoCoach :)
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