Getting Creative with Cauliflower ~ Mock Custard Pie & Cream of Onion Soup ~ low fat, low carb, low cal

Mock Custard Pie ~ made with pureed cauliflower ~ OK, here is a very different & unique spin on the traditional, homestyle Custard Pie.  My pie is made with cauliflower instead of cream, (yeah, I know, who knew it would work?) so it's dairy-free, as well as low carb, low fat & low cal. It has a similar taste & texture to a real custard pie ~ Yipee!  I was inspired by this Fat Flush Plan friendly recipe I found on the web.  Roy really likes the dessert & that tells me it's good. :)

Mock Custard Pie ~ made with Cauliflower instead of cream ~ dairy-free, low carb, low fat & low cal

• 2 fresh eggs
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 6 packets Equal or your favorite sweetener (or to taste)
• 3 cups well cooked cauliflower, cooled  (steam or boil until nice & soft)
• 3 whole sheets cinnamon graham crackers
• Pam cooking spray 
• extra cinnamon/nutmeg for sprinkling
• Fat Free Cool Whip (or favorite kind of whipped topping) ~ optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a glass pie dish with Pam & place the cinnamon graham crackers in the bottom of the dish, cinnamon side up. Break apart the graham crackers, as needed, to cover the bottom of the pie dish as best you can.

Put the 2 eggs into a blender & blend on low speed until uniformly mixed. 

Add next 6 ingredients to the blended eggs~ vanilla whey protein powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, lemon zest & Equal packets.  Blend on low speed, until well combined.

Add cooked/cooled cauliflower to the egg mixture & blend on high speed ~you want to completely puree the cauliflower/egg mixture & turn it all into a thick, smooth liquid.

Gently pour the cauliflower mixture into the graham cracker 'crust', making sure it is evenly distributed.  Dust top of the 'custard pie' with a sprinkling of cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

Bake pie at 350 degrees, for about 20-30 minutes, until well set & the 'custard' separates slightly from the edges of the pie dish.  

Serve warm or cold, with some Fat Free Cool Whip (or your favorite kind), if desired  ~ optional 

                                        Enjoy!
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Cream of Onion Soup ~ More fun with cauliflower & another dairy-free dish using cauliflower instead of cream!  I simmered 1/2 a head of chopped cauliflower & one whole, sliced onion in about 6 cups chicken broth, until soft.  (use a veggie broth for a vegetarian version)  I then pureed it, returned it to the pot, added some sauteed (in a little sherry) chopped onion, a few of my favorite  herbs & let it all simmer on low for 10 minutes.  When serving, I sprinkled the soup with a little French's French Fried Onions, just to add a final layer of crunchy, oniony goodness.  The soup turned out very tasty, with a nice thick & creamy texture.  And it's another low cal, low fat & low carb recipe for my cooking rotation ~ Oh, yeah!  The cauliflower puree would make a great base for other 'cream' soups. Hmmm, I wonder when mushrooms will go on sale... :)