Our family has recently transitioned into a grain free lifestyle. I have been gluten free since my miscarriage and fibro diagnosis in 2008.
But y’all, it is hard! Carbs are practically my love language. BUT, I feel so much better and think so much clearer when I avoid them. So, mentally it’s been a little bit of a fight, but physically I feel amazing, so it’s a WIN!
Finding replacements has not been nearly as difficult as I imagined. First it was zucchini for noodles (post coming soon) and now it’s cauliflower for our usual rice / couscous.
I’ll be honest, as a carb lover, I was totally skeptical. But, I’m a believer now! And, the prep work was really easy, too! Granted it took a little more time (read 5 minutes) than opening a box of rice, but in the end, the 5 minutes were worth the lack of bloating that comes from the grain kind. AND, Elizabeth and Andrew didn’t even notice! Halfway through dinner I told Andrew, and he admitted he loved it!
There’s only a few steps (you can see step by step pictures and more details here)
- - cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets (for more than 4 people, I would do 2 heads of cauliflower)
- - pulse a handful at a time with food processer (or ninja) until rice like (may have to remove big pieces and throw them back in)
- - dump all into a bowl and season if you wish – I added salt/pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of an italian herb blend I have. You can add fresh grated parmesan too! Or, if you’re going for something like Mexican you could add cumin and chili powder, or ginger for an Asian type dinner.
- - you can stop here and serve as couscous – especially good in salads or
- - sautee in hot olive oil for just a few minutes (like 2-3, just until good and flavorful), then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes. The longer it cooks, the more tender like rice it becomes.
- That’s it! Easy Peasy! A great way to get more veggies into your kids! Elizabeth even asked for more! I only used 1 head, because like I said, I was a skeptic, but I will be adding 2-3 heads to our weekly shopping list in place of rice/pasta/couscous!
- You can also prepare this in advance and freeze until ready to use. Excited to make “fried rice” with this later this week! And maybe even “cauliflower tots”.
