Cauliflower Rice

I’ve always liked cauliflower, cooked or cold, steamed or baked with cheese or eaten raw with a dip; but, it’s when I started a low carb eating plan that I really learned to LOVE cauliflower because it was such a versatile veggie that could be used as a substitution for other foods. I was skeptical at first, not sure if a “rice” of any sort could be made with cauliflower but I was willing to give it a try. Imagine my surprise when after ricing it in the food processor (pulsing until chopped in little bitty pieces but not mush) that it did somewhat resemble rice. I found after experimenting a bit that I did prefer a bit chunkier “ricing” but that is totally a personal preference. Also, the ricing can be done with a grater, just that a food processor is faster. I slice and then cut into strips to fit into my food processor.

After chopping, I then store it in a container in the fridge so that throughout the week I can scoop some out for meals. So this is often done on the weekend when I have more time and I do a whole head of cauliflower. I have  a Tupperware container that holds one head of riced cauliflower and it keeps it nice and fresh all week long.

Don’t you just love my old 70’s processor? I got it second hand when my kids were little and money was tight; it was a great find for just a few dollars in a consignment store. All these years later it still works like new. I love the orange button, so retro. I couldn’t resist, recently I just bought a big stainless steel Kitchenaid processor but I’m still holding onto this gem.

So, here is half of the riced cauliflower in my Tupperware container (yep, if you hadn’t guessed, it is an old retro piece of my beloved Tupperware from the 70’s or 80’s era).  Love their stuff. I have lots of their newer lines too but my fave pieces are from their old collections. They just hold up to the test of time and if they do crack or break down in some way, I can call my rep and get it replaced for free. How awesome is that? Anyway, let’s carry on because this is about a recipe not the Tupperware LOL.

For my Asian influenced Cauliflower Rice Recipe I just sort of eyeball it and put the ingredients in but HERE is the Pinterest recipe from Skinnytaste that I base mine on that is delicious but I like to put my own spin on it.

MY CAULIFLOWER RICE RECIPE

• 1-2 cups cauliflower rice
• 1-2 tbsp oil (olive oil, grapeseed oil, whatever), plus an additional tbsp if you use a lot of oil like I do but not necessary
• a liberal sprinkle of onion and garlic powder
• a liberal spinkle of Chinese 5 Spice Blend or a bit of ginger
• salt & pepper
• sesame oil
• soy sauce (I use about 3-5 tbsp depending on the amount of cauliflower, I like it well saturated as it does cook down)
• green onions if I have them on hand but not needed

Heat oil (not sesame, that will just get drizzed in later) in pan, add spices to warm them up a bit for about 30 seconds (except for salt & pepper) and add the rice and green onion (if using). Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until softening, adding another tbsp of oil if you want to be sure to really get the cauliflower browning. Now add in the sesame oil (just a splash) and salt and pepper.  Cook another 5 minutes so flavors blend and mix a few times to be sure all the cauliflower is well saturated in soy and oil. Boom….done! Easy isn’t it? This batch has a little extra sauce because I wanted a bit to drizzle over the smokies that I was serving this with.

So my version is a bit faster and not so fussy as the original recipe. I like more spice and more soy than some might prefer so feel free to start out slow and see how you like it. I have also made it with scrambled egg in it if I have time to do it and for that version I decrease the soy so the egg flavor stands out more and sometimes fry up green pepper and leeks with it. You can play around with this and try it with different sauces and veggies, whatever floats your boat…just go for it! I’m eating more healthy oils on my keto diet than most people consume so my amounts of oil may be overkill for you, so start slow and add a bit as you go along. Hope you enjoy it.