My last post was a week long menu plan and two of the dishes called for cauliflower rice, so I thought a caulfilower rice tutorial was in order!
WHAT IS CAULIFLOWER RICE?
Cauli-rice is a substitute for rice made completely from cauliflower. Use it in place of rice, couscous, quinoa, and such. We really like it in our house, but not because it tates just like rice, but because it is its own yummy thing. The grains are smaller and softer than rice and it is delicious with a nice curry or stirfry laddled over top, or even in fried rice. Don’t go in thinking you will be fooled and feel like you are eating rice. Just enjoy it for what it is.
HOW DO YOU MAKE IT?
There are many different ways of making cauli-rice, but it all starts the same. With a head of cauliflower, washed, cored, and chunked into large florets.
Pick the method below that works with the appliances you own:
Blender Wet Chop:
This is by far my favorite way to make cauliflower rice. You do need a large blender that will do a wet chop. I know that Vitamix and Blendtec can do this for sure, but I am not sure about other blenders, so make sure you read the manual and find out if your blender is capable of this.
First Place the cauliflower florets in the blender. Then fill with water so that the cauliflower is floating off the blade and is submerged. It will kind of bob at the top a little.
On a Vitamix, set the variable to about 5 and pulse by flipping the switch on and off. I did about 3 pulses. The water will look murky and the cauliflower will be in small bits. With a blendtec push the pulse button until the cauliflower is chopped into equal small bits.
Drain the contents of a blender through a fine metal sieve.
Food Processor:
Place your cauliflower florets in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower becomes small even grains. Don’t overfill the food processor or it wont process evenly. Do it in batches if you need to. You can also send it through the shredder of the food processor, but the stem will be shredded rather than riced.
Cheese Grater:
If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can grate the cualiflower on a cheese grater. Make the florets on the large size so you can grip them as you grate. I chose the largest hole size, but a smaller size works, too. This method works, but is not my favorite because it can get a little messy and doesn’t get the grains as evenly sized.
Veggie Peeler:
Instead of chopping into florets, keep the head whole. Place over a large bowl and use a knife or veggie peeler to shave of the top crumbly part of the cauliflower. Chop the stem as fine as possible.
HOW DO YOU COOK IT?
Pan Fry:
Heat up a drizzle of oil in pan and then add the cauliflower. Place a lid on the pan to steam it. Stir as needed so it doesn’t stick and cook until it is warmed.
Roasted:
Preheat oven to 400. Dump cauliflower into the middle of a rimmed cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or lightly greased. Drizzle a little oil on top and toss until oil is evenly distributed. Spread out evenly on the pan and salt to taste. Bake for 15 minutes, then give the cauliflower a stir and bake for about 10 minutes more. It should be hot and lightly toasted. If you are in a hurry you can just cook it until it is warm. Or if you like it a little crispy, cook it longer. Check often so it doesn’t burn.
Raw:
You can even eat it raw! I prefer it cooked, but it is still totally works raw.
Seasoned:
Use any of the cooking methods above and add any seasonings or flavors you want. Add garlic, ginger while cooking for more flavor. How about a little lime and cilantro for a Mexican dish. Some cumin seeds and tumeric for an Indian dish. Perhaps some soy sauce and sriracha?
STORING:
It will keep in the fridge for a couple days in an air tight container (how long will depend on how fresh the original cauliflower is). It can also be frozen! So make a double batch and stick some in the freezer. Just make sure it is all the way dry before freezing. Pat with a paper towel until completely dry. Then pack it in a zip lock baggie, lay the bag flat, and seal. Be sure to write how much you are freezing on the bag so that you know for future recipes. It should be fine in the freezer for at least 3 months. Just pull it out and let it thaw in the fridge the day before using. You can also pan fry it right from frozen with the lid on so it steams it a little, you will just need to break it up a little with a spatuala as you cook it.
HEALTHY RECIPES USING CAULIFLOWER RICE:
