“The secret of happiness is variety, but the secret of variety, like the secret of all spices, is knowing when to use it.”
~ Daniel Gilbert
Cauliflower Just Got a Lot More Interesting
One of the benefits of developing new recipes for this blog is that it shakes me out of my food ruts. I tend to just broil or sauté cauliflower, and if I make cauli-rice, it’s usually plain as a base for something more interesting, like curry. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can get a little boring. No longer! I figured your standards might be a little bit higher, so I spent the past two months trying out different flavor combinations. These are the ones that made the cut. Side note: there’s a theory that bacon makes everything taste better; cauliflower rice is the exception! I know – it shocked me, too.
A Far More Nutritious “Rice”
On a grain-free diet, people often miss the way grains can fill out a meal. While some people do reintroduce white rice back into their diet (a la The Perfect Health Diet), they do so for convenience and calories, rather than nutrition. Cauliflower “rice” is a staple that’s easy to master and far more nutritious than the rice it replaces. Just 1 cup of cauliflower:
- Is full of vitamins, providing 73% of your daily vitamin C, along with 15 other nutrients, including many B vitamins.
- Is full of antioxidants, including beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol.
- Is a sulfur-rich vegetable, and Dr. Terry Wahls suggests we eat 3 cups of these daily. Why? They support our bodies’ ability to detoxify. This is especially important for people with autoimmune disease, because most of us have compromised detoxification abilities.
- Is anti-inflammatory, containing glucobrassicin, which works on a genetic level to turn off inflammatory responses.
- Has beneficial fiber that feeds the good bacteria in our guts, while also working to suppress overgrowth of h.pylori.
Flavor Fun
Today, I’m sharing 4 very different flavors of this recipe. Feel free to experiment on your own to create even more.
- Plain cauliflower “rice” is a great base for curries, stir fries and any meals with a sauce.
- Scallion “rice” incorporates another powerful vegetable into the meal. Did you know that scallions contain 120 times more antioxidants than regular onions? The secret is in the greens – you need to eat the whole scallion.
- Asian ginger uses fresh ginger along with some paleo staples (red boat fish sauce and coconut aminos) to provide a flavor punch.
- Moroccan spice might just be my favorite variation. These AIP spices blend together beautifully, and there’s even a hint of “butter” flavor in the mix. I don’t know where that came from, but I’m excited. As someone who is dairy-intolerant, I haven’t tasted anything like that in a long time.
4 Flavors of Cauliflower “Rice” (Paleo, AIP, GAPS, Wahls, Whole30)
- Total Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
Plain:
- 1/2 large head cauliflower, riced
- 2 Tbsp. AIP-friendly fat
- sea salt, to taste
Scallion:
- 1/2 large head cauliflower, riced
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced (both white and green parts)
- sea salt, to taste
Asian Ginger:
- 1/2 large head cauliflower, riced
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger (I like this ginger grater)
- 1/2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. coconut aminos
Moroccan Spice:
- 1/2 large head cauliflower, riced
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 Tbsp. raisins
Instructions
Plain:
- Cut cauliflower into chunks and pulse in food processor, until it reaches rice consistency. Set aside. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a hand grater.
- Melt fat in large skillet over medium heat.
- Add cauliflower rice and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook 3 minutes. Use spatula to turn over, sprinkle with more sea salt, and cook another 3 minutes.
Scallion:
- Cut cauliflower into chunks and pulse in food processor, until it reaches rice consistency. Set aside.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the white slices of scallion and sauté 2 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower rice and toss to blend. Sprinkle with sea salt and cook 3 minutes. Use spatula to turn over, sprinkle with more sea salt, and cook another 3 minutes. Add the green slices of scallion, toss to blend and serve.
Asian Ginger:
- Cut cauliflower into chunks and pulse in food processor, until it reaches rice consistency. Set aside.
- Melt oil in large skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir the fresh grated ginger, fish sauce and coconut aminos together.
- Add to the coconut oil in the skillet and stir to blend. Add the cauliflower rice and toss until evenly coated in flavoring. Cook 3 minutes. Use spatula to turn over and cook another 3 minutes. No salt needed, because fish sauce is salty (but ironically doesn't taste like fish).
Moroccan Spice:
- Cut cauliflower into chunks and pulse in food processor, until it reaches rice consistency. Set aside.
- Melt coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add spices and stir until blended with the oil.
- Add cauliflower rice and toss until evenly coated in flavoring. Sprinkle raisins on top. Cook 3 minutes. Use spatula to turn over and cook another 3 minutes.
Notes
- The cauliflower stem is edible and nutritious, too! Include it when making your cauliflower-rice.
- Time Saving Tip: Many stores sell pre-chopped cauliflower rice in the frozen food aisle. 1/2 large head of cauliflower is equivalent to about 3 cups of cauliflower rice.
- There are two places you can vary the recipe slightly for texture: (1) When you pulse the cauliflower in the food processor, you get to decide how small you want your “rice”. I like mine to be a little varied in size, so I don't pulse it quite as finely. Other people like it to be a more fine and uniform texture. Just don't turn it into mush. (2) When you cook it, you can either leave the skillet uncovered for an “al dente” texture, or covered for a softer texture. Try both ways and see what you prefer. I actually like both!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: paleo, aip, gaps, wahls, whole30, 4 flavors of cauliflower "rice"
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Credit: recipe photograph taken by Christina Feindel
