Recipe - Cauliflower Rice

I don't know how I never saw this before, but cauliflower rice is a bit of a revelation for me, nearly to the magnitude of roasting vegetables. It's something that I had never seen or even imagined, but it's a great way to deliver whole vegetables and the nutrients and vitamins inside without adding a bunch of extra junk. You can also trick your kids and other loved ones into thinking they have a "normal" side dish while getting them to eat something that I'm sure isn't a part of their normal diet.

What is Cauliflower Rice

Like the name may imply, although it wasn't super evident to me when I started, it's cauliflower treated in a way to give it a rice like texture and feeling. By grating, shredding, or finely chopping a head or cauliflower, you can end up with rice grain sized pieces of cauliflower that makes an excellent side dish without all of the starchy carbs you would find in rice.

How Do You Make Cauliflower Rice

Get a head of cauliflower and wash it. Cut off the green leaves and cut it into large chunks, maybe 8-12 pieces. Then, with either a food processor with the grating blade or, my preference, a box grater, get to work breaking down the cauliflower. If you are hand grating it, just go for it. I use what I call the the shredding side with the small round holes that I used to use for cheese. If you are using the food processor, just pulse quickly, you don't want to to get too fine.
Once it's broken down, put everything in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with a paper towel , and microwave it on high for about 2 minutes. You don't need to add any water or anything.
From there, it's perfectly ready to eat. If you want it lighter, you can wring it out with a clean kitchen towel. Put the whole pile in the middle of the towel, bring the 4 corners together and twist everything, and keep twisting until much of the water is out. When you open the towel back up, put the ball into a bowl and fluff it back up into a nice bowl-full of food.

Taking it to the Next Level

You can serve the cauliflower rice as is, or jazz it up like you would any other rice dish. Toss in some fresh herbs. Lightly fry it in a little olive oil with garlic and onion. Add peas, carrots, soy sauce, and a scrambled egg and you have fried "rice". Serve it under a chicken breast with pan juices. The options are endless.