Saturday 12 May 2012

Cauliflower Rice and foray into the blogging world...

So, for my first post I thought I would talk about a staple, and honestly wonderful vegetable, that I used to hate as a child and never really ate until I gave up the white, starchy rice (and all that goes with it). If you've ever took a look at low-carb recipe websites, you'll see that the cauliflower rice recipe is essentially a staple and it seems everyone has their own recipe.

The first recipe I had ever come across for cauliflower rice was actually not through a blog at all, but through a wonderful, and sadly out of print cookbook titled Low Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby. Barnaby is actually a Vancouver chef at the Fish House in Stanley Park, and the book is full of wonderful recipes that are relatively easy to prepare but are no less impressive and delicious. I credit this book with persuading J to realize that eating low carb didn't have to be boring or not nutritious (and thank goodness, could you imagine if your spouse wasn't willing at least eat the same way you did to help you lose weight!!) -- my diet change actually forced us to cook at home (instead of eating so much delicious thai food... mmm) and as a result we ended up eating healthier and eating a ton of fresh vegetables.

I still do have white rice on occasion, and there are some things that I will never substitute it for. Making risotto with cauliflower is an affront to everything I know about making a delicious risotto (thanks, Zia and Nonna!), and I just simply cannot bring myself to make a risotto. Sorry, I'll eat the rice in this case!

So, enough of my yammering -- here's the way that I make Cauliflower Rice:

Cauliflower Rice

1 head of cauliflower, grated or sent through the food processor with the grater/shredder attachment
1 tbsp of butter
Salt to taste (if desired)

Food processors are a wonderful thing, though if you don't have one, you can great it by hand (though you end up with cauliflower everywhere and it takes TONS of time). Anyway, take the shredded cauliflower and melt the butter (or other fat of choice) in a hot pan. You may need to use a large pan depending on the size of your cauliflower -- you need enough room to stir it so the stuff at the bottom doesn't burn. Saute the cauliflower at medium-high until it starts to get tender. This is generally about 10 minutes and you can hear it sizzling in the pan.

And that's it!

No, really, this is probably just as easy as making regular ol' rice. This basic recipe opens you up to a TON of variations. For example, change the butter for 1 tsp sesame oil, add an egg and some green onions and sauteed mushrooms, and you have a super healthy fried rice. I can't really comment on how many servings you'll get, but you'll get a lot. The best thing about cauliflower rice is that it is easily reheated, and doesn't get sticky or weird like traditional rice does. Also, you'll lose that bloated balloon belly feeling you get from eating too much, like at Chinese or Thai restaurants.

Phew! If you read all of that, I thank you! If you've never tried cauliflower rice before, I would recommend giving it a shot. Even though I'm out of the weight loss stage and could eat rice on a regular basis, I actually end up preferring the cauliflower. It makes it easy to get all those healthy vitamins and nutrients -- and eat your vegetables.

Thanks for stopping by!

2 comments:

  1. Also, I apologize for not having a picture. Cauliflower rice doesn't have much you can do with it, from a photographic standpoint. I'll try to post pictures with my recipes as much as possible!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brava! And whew -- glad to hear you'll still accept my risotto! Speaking of the cauliflower family, the next I'll make for you is a central Italian variant: Risotto con broccolo e salsiccia!
    Anyhow, although the cauliflower season is over in Italy (shops don't really stock much out-of-season produce here), I'd really like to try your "cauliflower rice" recipe sooner or later. Hey, that reminds me I froze some broccolo romano (light green, conical -- sort of alien-looking when you first see it) and need to use it up...
    Ancora, complimenti! Love, Zia Anna

    ReplyDelete