Charred and Garlicky Broccoli and Cauliflower mash with Roasted Garlic and Ricotta

The length of these recipe names really cracks me up. That's only 2 recipe names up there. These two recipes I made as the side dish for the Brick Chicken from earlier. I stepped on the scale the other day and realized the few pounds I had managed to lose had returned and I have a feeling it has something to do with this book... and my sheer love for carbs as of late. This would be a (almost, but come on - does it really count?) carb free dinner and I could get down for that.

Let's start with the broccoli. Charred broccoli doesn't sound like fun to me. Actually, charred anything doesn't exactly make my mouth water...but I like broccoli so I went for it. I prepped this baby early in the day because within this recipe lies 2 other recipes that you need to make first. Roasted garlic and roasted garlic oil and cheesy garlic bread crumbs (the 'does it really count?' carb). Both were easy, but I'm glad I prepped early in the day because that would have been a nightmare come dinner time.

I have to say, once this was done, this is the best broccoli I've ever eaten. Disclaimer: this recipe contains whole cloves of garlic, so once the cheese and bread crumbs are in there it's easy to get a mouthful of straight garlic because they are hidden. If you're not one for whole garlic, like me, this is important to remember. Otherwise, this was fantastic.

This was before I forgot to add the cheese and bread crumbs

After the cheese and crumbs *drool*

The cauliflower mash was a last minute decision. I enjoy substituting cauliflower for carbs so I figured this one was a no brainer. I did not have fresh cauliflower, but I did have frozen, so I went with that since she has you boil it anyway. 

Here is where I think I had my problem: she tells you to drain the cauliflower and get it as dry as possible. I'm not sure how easy this would have been with fresh cauliflower, but it was a goddamn nightmare. I used so many paper towels before the cheap-o in me said "fuck it" and tossed the damp cauliflower in the food processor. That being said. I did not like this. The texture was more of a mousse texture and it was hard for me to get past that and eat it. I don't think the addition of the ricotta helped matters at all, as I think it contributed to the mushy feel. I mixed this with some broccoli and now that was good. All in all, I may try the cauliflower again - with fresh cauliflower...but probably not anytime soon.

Update: I was letting my brother's girlfriend Chelsea try this meal and my brother walked in and took a bite of the cauliflower mash. He loved it. Granted, he did think it was grits - but he wolfed it down like a rabid dog and then went to town on the brick chicken. He didn't touch the broccoli because he's strange...but Collin's friend was over and had some and told me he'd be asking for the broccoli and chicken again. I was loving the feedback last night! 

Cauliflower mousse