FAUXTATO SALAD #Low carb #summer salads

FROM MARY JANE MAFFINI    

Around here, summer meals, barbecues and casual outdoor dining with family almost always included potato salad.  One of the biggest hurdles we faced in our low carb program was how to overcome the problem of no potato salad. Luckily we found the solution. Everyone in the family loves this delicious cauliflower-based salad and it’s very close to potato salad in taste. Cauliflower is one very talented veggie! 

The recipe is adapted from Dana Carpender’s 500 Low-Carb recipes, the first edition (but there are versions in some of her later cookbooks too) I have been thinking I might try it with a bit of bacon next time, although it’s delish as is, and I see that there’s a Southwest version.  Mmm.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium cauliflower, cut into ‘cubes’ the size of potato chunks in  potato salad

1 1/2 cups finely diced celery  

3/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 cups good-quality mayonnaise

3/8 cup apple cider vinegar  

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp Dijon vinegar

2 tsp Swerve or your favorite sweetener to equal two tsp.

½ teaspoon pepper

½ tsp sharp Paprika or ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tablespoon or more chopped fresh chives

4 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped 

 DIRECTIONS:

Put the ‘cubed’ cauliflower in a microwaveable dish with just a tablespoon of water, and cover. Cook on “high” for seven minutes, and let sit, still covered, for another three to five minutes or so, until tender, but not mushy.  

Dice the red onion and celery.

 

Drain the cooked cauliflower and combine with the celery and onions in a large bowl. We add the red onion before the cauliflower has cooled because it seems to have a milder taste that way, but you can also wait until it’s cool and add with the celery. 

Mix the mayonnaise, Dijon, vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika or cayenne, and Swerve/sweetener. 

Pour over the cauliflower mixture and combine well.  

Add chives and mix throughout.

Add the coarsely chopped eggs last and stir lightly.  

Chill before serving. 

Reports are that it’s very good and even better the next day.  You may have noticed it’s not a low-calorie recipe, merely low-carb and that’s perhaps why even those who avoid diet or low-carb food are still keen.

Drop in and let me know what you must have in your potato salad.  Perhaps it’s potatoes? But that could change.  And if it must be potatoes, I bet this dressing and veg combo would be great with regular potato salad.  

 Mary Jane Maffini is the award-winning author of three and a half mystery series: the Camilla Maffini mysteries, the Fiona Silk capers and the Charlotte Adams organizer mysteries – number six coming soon!  The first five Charlotte Adams are being reissued by Beyond the Page Publishing. Recipes have been added and of course, the organizing tips continue! The Charlotte Adams books have recently been optioned for television films.

Organize Your Corpses was be released as an e-book and a trade paper on May 18. There's a great deal for the e-book.   You can order it HERE!

And watch for the reissue of The Cluttered Corpse on June 15th!

With her daughter Victoria Maffini, MJ collaborated on The Book Collector Mysteries as Victoria Abbott. Victoria Abbott spent several happy years on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. MJ  is very glad to be back and Victoria is waving at you all!

Don't forget to check out MJ's Canadian books:  Camilla MacPhee features a fortyish widowed lawyer who runs an advocacy agency for victims of violent crime, in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Life would be easier if she didn't have the world's worst office assistant, the world's bossiest sisters and, arguably, the world's greatest stubborn streak. If you like your mysteries a bit edgy with a side order of humor, these could be for you.  

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