Grilled Chicken, Cheddar Cauliflower Mash & Fresh Roasted Asparagus

Today started off overcast, warm and muggy because everything was soaked from all the rain we got last night -- but the sun finally popped out by noon time.  It was already in the mid-60s when we awoke and made it all the way up into the mid-70s this afternoon (we had at least one reading of 76).  It is the craziest January weather -- it felt more like a spring day than the typical cold January day smack in the middle of winter.  We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and thought it would be a great day to grill out for dinner.  I lightly sprayed some boneless chicken thighs with olive oil and then seasoned them with Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning and hubby grilled them.  Meanwhile, I roasted some super thin stalks of fresh asparagus in the oven after seasoning them with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.  I also made Cheddar Cauliflower Mash to go with our meal and halved a few cherry tomatoes and tossed them with a little olive oil, pomegranate vinegar and fresh dill.  It was a quick, fresh and simple dinner to put together and it was absolutely delicious.  Below is a picture of our dinner as well as the recipe for the Cheddar Cauliflower Mash.  Enjoy!

BOOM!

Cheddar Cauliflower Mash

INGREDIENTS:

1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup cream or half-n-half
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Place cauliflower and chicken stock in a medium sized saucepan.  Cover and bring to a simmer of medium-high heat and cook until completely tender (about 10-15 minutes).  Most of the chicken stock cooks down while the cauliflower cooks (I cook it until the bottom of the pan is dry to remove as much liquid).  Add garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste; stir in cream and puree with an immersion blender until completely smooth (or use a food processor).  Stir in the cheese and mix well until melted and well blended.  Stir in sour cream and taste to adjust seasoning.  Sprinkle top with chives (optional), if desired.  Serves 4 to 6, depending on the size of your cauliflower head.