Peppered Cauliflower Rice Topped With A Vegetable Stir
By now many of you have already heard of cauliflower rice or riced cauliflower. Apparently it is a popular alternative to regular rice with those that follow the Paleo diet. I do not follow the diet but I do love this low-calorie, low-carb and starch free alternative that won’t raise my blood sugar.
The first time I heard of using cauliflower as a rice alternative was when I saw it on my foodie friend Tania’s website. She shared a gorgeous recipe titled Low Carb Fried Rice that peeked my interest immediately. Thanks to her I learned the technique for ricing the cauliflower and have now been experimenting with different ways of cooking the faux rice. Thank you Tania:)
I’ve tried doing some reasearch as to the origins of cauliflower rice but unfortunately have come up empty handed. The only mention I saw was a blogger saying they found out about it in the popular Wheat Belly book. Do any of you know who invented the technique?
The technique is quite basic, as all that is required is a head of cauliflower and either a food processor or box grater. (I use a box grater.) You process, or grate, the cauliflower flowerets into small pieces that resemble grains of rice. Since the pieces are so tiny all that is required is a quick blanching to cook the cauliflower before it is used in the desired recipe.
One very important thing I learned is to not over cook, boil, the cauliflower. Doing so gives it a strong and bitter taste. So if you don’t much care for the that bitterness the rice won’t taste good to you. But if cooked correctly it’s amazing how your brain doesn’t put together that it isn’t rice you are eating. There will still be a faint cauliflower taste but it tastes great and compliments other ingredients wonderfully.
Peppered Cauliflower Rice Topped With A Basil Spiced Vegetable Stir Fry For #MeatlessMonday
Ingredients
Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 small head of cauliflower
- boiled water
- a bit of oil
- black pepper and sea salt to taste
Stir Fry Ingredients: (amounts are for 2 servings)
- 2 portobello mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion cut into 1/4s
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- handful of fresh basil leaves
- olive oil or vegetable oil of choice
- soy sauce to taste (if avoid wheat us a gluten-free brand)
Instructions
Cauliflower Rice Instructions:
- Throughly clean the head of cauliflower and pat dry. Cut into florets and discard thick stalks. In a food processor pulse until you achieve small granules that resemble rice. OR using a box grater, grate the florets into rice like granules. Pour the riced cauliflower into a large bowl, then pour over enough boiled water to cover. Allow to sit for 4 minutes or until softened, then drain. Try to make sure nearly all of the liquid has drained off. Add a bit of oil to a pan and saute the drained cauliflower for a few minutes. Gently mix in some ground black pepper and sea salt, then set aside.
Stir Fry Instructions:
- Heat the oil, and once warm cook onions until soft and translucent. Add the peppers, mushrooms and garlic, cook until the vegetables begin to soften or to desired tenderness. Add a splash or as much soy sauce as desired, then add the basil leaves. Cook for another few minutes.
To Serve:
- Serve the stir fried vegetables over the rice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
This meal makes a scrumptious, low calorie and low carb lunch or dinner that is perfect for Meatless Mondays. Plus there are so many great health benefits of eating cauliflower, you can read all about it from this article.
Happy Monday everyone!
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Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
