Seasoned Cauliflower Rice

Happy Easter!

I won’t lie to you. I had all of these awesome, vegan re-creations of Easter favorites in mind (Cadbury Eggs, Peeps), but every. single. one. turned out either way to difficult to make, or just not all that great. Hey, they can’t all be winners, and I refuse to post anything that I feel is a so-so recipe. Even if it means I spent my entire Friday destroying my kitchen with nothing to show for it 😉

While this recipe has nothing to do with Easter in particular, this recipe is totally a winner. Carb lovers, rejoyce! This cauliflower “rice” is, in my opinion, the greatest thing since sliced bread. The possibilities are literally endless, and this is one kind of rice you can carb-load ’til your hearts content. One 2-pound bag of cauliflower florets is only 220 calories!!! That’s right, 220 for the entire thing, and that makes a whole lot of cauliflower rice. To put that in perspective, 1 cup of cooked long-grain brown rice contains around the same amount of calories as this entire bag does.

Whether you are low-cab, no-carb or just simply trying to get more veggies into you diet, this recipe is super easy to make, and completely adaptable to whatever flavors your craving. Today’s recipe is my simple seasoned cauliflower rice. For the basic, unseasoned cauliflower rice, all you need is some cauliflower (one head or one 2-pound bag of florets), non-stick cooking spray of your choice and a blender. For this recipe, I added in sauteed sweet onion, minced garlic, fresh parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning and celery salt to taste. I don’t specify seasoning amounts in this recipe because everyone has different taste preferences, so feel free to adjust everything according to taste.

If not already prepared, cut cauliflower in florets and rinse thoroughly in a colander. Shake to remove excess water, and with a paper towel, lightly pat dry to remove any remaining water.

Place cauliflower florets into a blender, and using the pulse setting (if your blender doesn’t have this, just do short bursts), pulse cauliflower florets into small pieces until they are similar to the texture and size of rice. You may have to do this in two separate batches to avoid over-processing. Place finished cauliflower into a medium-sized bowl and start to prepare your onion and garlic.

Generously coat a large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Add in your finely chopped onion and minced garlic, sauteing until fragrant.

When onion appears to be turning translucent, add in your cauliflower and coat with a little additional cooking spray. Stir to thoroughly combine and continue to saute over medium-high heat stirring frequently. Cook until cauliflower is tender, but be careful not to overcook as cauliflower has a fair amount of water in it and can turn mushy. This will take around 5 minutes.

Once cauliflower is finished, remove from heat and add in 1/4 cup of freshly chopped parsley, along with the rest of the seasonings to taste. Add a little, then taste, and add more as desired.

Cauliflower rice will save in the fridge in a sealed container for 1-2 days, and will reheat in the microwave. Just make sure to reheat it in 30-second intervals so you don’t overheat it.