Cauliflower ‘Rice’ and Veggies

Here’s a tasty and oh-so-good for you dish!  This is great as a side dish or as the basis for a stir-fry or a curry. Try it even with a sunnyside egg perched on top! I have prepared this as a vegan dish; it is low-carb, dairy-free, nut-freegluten-free, and of course, refined sugar-free! Cauliflower Rice fits so nicely into our healthy-but-oh-so-yummy POV. Click here  to check out these nutritional facts about cauliflower.

There are so many ways to prepare cauliflower (or not…eaten raw is good, too). During the past few months, I have been trying different methods of making cauliflower ‘rice’ (boiled, microwaved, sauteed) but we like it this way—roasted—the best!  Here are a few of my reasons for saying so:

• it is easy-peasy (first and maybe most important!)
• roasting adds to the flavor
• very little added fat

I have read numerous recipes that suggest you can freeze the cauliflower ‘rice’ after it is cooked.  I would love to tell you this works great but we never have any leftovers. 🙁 But I am purposefully going to try it…wouldn’t it be great to have some to pull out of the freezer in July!?!

And experiment, please; this dish is very accommodating of other veggies you might have in your ‘fridge; load it up as you desire.  I would love to hear how you made this dish ‘your own!’

Cauliflower ‘Rice’ with Veggies

ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil or butter)
1 large head cauliflower
sea salt, freshly ground pepper (I used lemon-pepper-salt blend)
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil or butter)
1 sweet onion
2 small zucchini
1/2# asparagus (or broccoli)
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 small lemon (optional)
directions:

• preheat oven to 425
• line a baking sheet (with a short rim) with parchment paper
• break the head of cauliflower into florets cutting off large stems (save for soup!)
• place the florets in the bowl of your food processor pulse until it breaks down and resembles pieces of rice (this should take, perhaps, 20 or so ‘pulses’) NOTE: if you have a really large head of cauliflower, do it in two batches to avoid overcrowding
• pour the ‘riced’ cauliflower into a large bowl; sprinkle with seasonings
• pour the melted coconut oil over top and quickly toss with two spatulas ‘til the rice is thoroughly coated with the oil
• spread out in a single layer on the lined baking sheet; roast for 20-25 minutes ‘til tender and just beginning to get a few browned spots
• remove from oven and set aside

while the cauliflower is roasting…

• heat your largest saute pan and heat the fat of your choice
• chop the onion and add to the pan; saute for 5-6 minutes over medium-high heat
• prep the rest of veggies while the onion is cooking:
  -shred the zucchini
  -thinly slice (on the diagonal is pretty) the asparagus
  -zest the lemon; set aside
• when onions are just starting to get a bit brown, add in the asparagus slices…cook for 4-5 minutes; then add in the shredded zucchini and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes ‘til all veggies are slightly tender. remove pan from heat
• add the roasted cauliflower ‘rice’ to the other veggies; gently stir together
• taste for additional seasoning, and squeeze the lemon juice over top (if using)
• pour into a large serving bowl
• enjoy!

   ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥ 

God loves you!   ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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