Pot Roast with Cauliflower Puree

   Pot roast and mashed potatoes are a classic. I've never found mashed cauliflower a facsimile of mashed potatoes at all, but they are tasty and they pair nicely with the pot roast and gravy. So, the gravy, I used a regular mix, slightly doctored, that contains flour, a carb. I am not, and probably won't ever be, completely carb-free, just reduced. I do have a gravy recipe to share another day that didn't have any carbs, but not this time. I did the math on this and the prepared mix has 4 grams of carbs per serving. The two mixes mad enough for 8 with leftovers so I suspect it was even lower than 4. That works for me. If you want completely carb-free and have a recipe you like, that can be substituted here, it's just the liquid to cook the beef in. 

     This made a lot of pota roast and gravy, I wanted some for leftovers. Most of my family are able to handle carbs reasonably well so I made a few baked potatoes for some of us so the cauliflower recipe if smaller and served 3-4. 

1 large pot roast

2 Pkg. brown gravy mix

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 head cauliflower

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 chicken bouillon cube

Black pepper

water to cover

pinch Xanthan gum

2 oz. hard cheese

1/2 lb. frozen green beans

2 Tbsp. bacon drippings

1/4 small onion, diced

2 tsp. vinegar (I used German 13 herb vinegar)

1/2 pork bouillon cube

1/4 tsp. granulated garlic

Heat the butter for the beef in a pan. Sear the pot roast on both sides and place in a crock pot. Whisk together the brown gravy mix, only 1 cup of water, and the black pepper. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture and pour over the pot roast. Cook on high for 5-7 hours, until the meat is tender. 

Just before the beef is cooked cook the cauliflower in a pan with the cream, bouillon, peppers, and just enough water to cover. Simmer until tender. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower, liquid and all, to a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth. Add the xanthan gum and the cheese and blend again until smooth. Remove from the blender immediately and place in a serving bowl or plate into individual bowls. Top with chunks of pot roast and gravy. 

Heat the bacon drippings in a pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Turn the heat to high and add the vinegar and granulated garlic and cook until it's almost evaporated. Add the green beans and stir quickly and then add 1 cup of water and the pork bouillon cube. Simmer, uncovered, until the green beans are tender and most of the liquid is evaporated.