Making Cauliflower Pesto a few weeks ago turned me on to a whole world of cauliflower possibilities.
My post-pesto experiment? Rice! Or couscous, or whatever you want to call the small, fluffy tufts of pulsed, grated cauliflower.
The below links provided me with some background and technique on making grain-like cauliflower salads:
The Kitchn provides an easy how-to tutorial on cauliflower couscous
Food52 makes an easy spiced couscous with cumin, za’atar, and lemon
Joy the Baker turns colorful cauliflower into a rice burrito bowl
The First Mess knows how to make a mean “rice and peas” with all of the best crunchy elements
Clearly, I wanted to be among those in the use-cauliflower-like-a-grain club. So, I picked out the biggest head of cauliflower at the farmer’s market and set to work.
An efficient person would likely use a food processor or blender to pulse the cauliflower into tiny pieces. I, on the other hand, used my box grater, justifying the mess I made all over the counter and the floor as a yearning for the old-fashioned and an excuse to exercise my arm and core muscles. To make less of a mess when grating my hand, try setting the box grater in a large bowl to catch fly-away cauliflower bits.
The cauliflower “rice” can be eaten raw, but I prefer it lightly sautéed.
Use the “rice” plain as a bed for a curry, or stir the “rice” into some seasonal vegetables and add-ins to create a full meal.
I cooked up some onion with zucchini, corn, and tomato, and mixed in the cauliflower “rice” with some chili powder, paprika, and my friend Amy’s uncle’s special Maryland spice blend (you can use something like Old Bay). Shave some Parmesan on top if you want. I took this for lunch every day this week, sometimes adding a little avocado or hummus on top to make things interesting.
Cauliflower is hot, hot, hot right now, as it should be. Jump on board.
Cauliflower “Rice” Sauté: Food For the Summer-Fall Transition
1/2 very large or 1 regular size head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon oil, olive or canola
1 small onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped small
1/2 cup small tomatoes, sliced in half or quartered
1 ear corn, sliced off the cob
1 teaspoon each: chili powder, paprika, Old Bay
salt and pepper, to taste
optional: fresh grated Parmesan cheese and/or hot sauce
Wash the cauliflower and take off the stalk and leaves. Cut or tear the cauliflower into large florets. In batches, pulse the cauliflower florets until finely chopped and they look approximately the size of rice or couscous. **You can also use a box grater to grate the florets by hand. You should get about 4 cups, more or less. Set the “rice” aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini, corn, and tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Slowly toss the cauliflower “rice” into the skillet with the spices. Continue cooking everything for another few minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Finish with Parmesan and/or hot sauce.
Tags: cauliflower, cauliflower couscous, cauliflower rice, corn, dinner, fall, gluten-free, healthy, late summer, lunch, rice, tomatoes, zucchini
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