Comfort food that’s also healthy: Beef Tips and Gravy over Cauliflower Mash
We’re half way through the first month of the year. Hopefully you’re still taking down Christmas, too. I’m not proud of it, but that’s where I’m at today.
Perhaps last week’s recipe didn’t send you shooting to the store to make cod. Maybe this week’s recipe will motivate you. Colder weather naturally has our bodies craving satisfying, heavier meals. This recipe for Beef Tips and Gravy over Cauliflower Mash truly fits the bill. I made a double batch of it in the slow cooker last week because we enjoy leftovers. I even served it to a couple of girlfriends and coaxed them to try it for breakfast with the coffee they’d come to enjoy. Both obliged my weird request. This recipe is delicious and full of beefy, garlicky flavor served over no-guilt cauliflower mash. It’s both Whole 30 and Keto compliant – in case you or anyone you’re cooking for cares – and even if they don’t, try this recipe out.
The browning of the meat is the most labor-intensive part, but it doesn’t take too much time. I found the recipe on Pinterest, which I don’t normally count as a reliable source for recipes, but a friend had told me about the blog, Healthy Little Peach, so I gave it a shot. When the last of the batch was gone, my husband was asking me to make it again. That’s how much it was enjoyed.
If you’re one of the Instapot enthusiasts, go to www.healthylittlepeach.com to get the adaptation that works for that cooking method. I loved that the author included recipes for cooking on the stove top, in the Instapot and also in the slow cooker, too. While the Instapot is much trendier, I’m still a die-hard slow cooker fan. “But you can hard boil eggs in five minutes,” people tell me. Thankfully, I’m not time starved. One of the major reasons to use the slow cooker is to have dinner prepped long before it’s time to eat.
Cozy food, cozy clothes and lots of Netflix: That’s how we roll right on through January. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve started daydreaming of gardening earlier than usual this year. Perhaps it’s because my sedum has sprouted already. Silly Mother Nature isn’t quite sure what to do with these not-so-wintery temperatures. In the meantime, we’ll keep cooking the winter foods that make us happy.
Adriene Rathbun is an enthusiastic Wichita cook who offers cooking classes through her business, Social. Reach her at socialcookingclasses.com or ar@adrienerathbun.com.
Beef Tips & Gravy over Cauliflower Mash
Sirloin Tips:
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat or sirloin tips
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Gravy:
2 cups beef broth
1 ½ teaspoons ghee
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup arrowroot starch dissolved in ¼ cup water
Mashed Cauliflower:
2 bags cauliflower rice boiled
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chives, fresh or dry
1 teaspoon salt, more if needed
1 teaspoon pepper
Brown the beef tips over medium/high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove and add meat to crock pot.
Throw all ingredients for sirloin tips and gravy with the exception of the arrowroot starch.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-7 hours.
About 15 minutes before serving, dissolve 2 tablespoons of arrowroot flour in 2 tablespoons water and add to crock pot. Mix in completely and stir until it begins to thicken. Cook on low 15 additional minutes.
Cauliflower Mash:
Bring one head of cauliflower chopped or 2 bags of cauliflower rice to a boil, about 10 minutes.
Drain liquid from the cauliflower and add to the food processor with garlic powder, chives, ghee, salt and pepper.
Blend together until smooth and top with fresh chives. Make sure not to over blend, or it will turn into a soupy puree.
Add cauliflower mash to a plate and top with beef tips along with creamy gravy.
Adapted from HealthyLittlePeach.com