Cauliflower Rice?  

“Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, I didn’t know you could make a good tasting rice out of cauliflower?!”

That’s the typical reaction I get when I talk about how good cauliflower rice is.  Before I learned how to make it, when I used rice for a recipe my go to favorite is usually Basmati rice to try and get it to be better for my blood sugar.  It helped me a little bit when I wanted to work on losing some weight around the middle.

But when I st

 

arted switching out basmati rice for cauliflower rice I really saw the difference.   Replacing other high carb foods as well helped me  lose 19 pounds! 

Cauliflower rice is one recipe that fills me up with my favorite meals whether it’s Chinese, Thai, India, or just some good ole rice and butter.  

What is Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower rice is a popular low carb substitute for regular rice that’s made by shredding or grating fresh cauliflower.  Our readers at southernplate.com are also asking for more low carb recipes and how many carbs something has in it as well.

Enter cauliflower rice. 

Ok Y’all, you might think I am as crazy as a Bessie Bug for using cauliflower or broccoli or any type of vegetable for rice instead of well… rice! But I tell you what this low carb alternative to regular white or brown rice has allowed me to eat more of the foods I love without worrying about how many calories I am eating.   If you are looking for it in the stores it’s in the freezer section usually but the frozen vegetables. 

Where in the heck did it come from?  Unfortunately the South can’t claim this culinary discovery.  But if you are interested this article where it talks about the famous actor Harrison Ford’s son who is a chef and how he seems to be the first one to talk about ricing cauliflower.  So Indiana Jones had a son who is a chef? Well “shut the front door” as my good friends mama says.

Let’s talk about cauliflower rice versus white rice.

• LOW in calories: At about 30-40 calories per cup — both raw and cooked — cauliflower rice provides just 10–20% of the calories you’d expect from the same quantity of cooked rice

• Healthy alternative: It  is packed with vitamins and minerals but also has the look and feel of rice a much lower level of the calories and carbs.
• Research links low calorie, water-dense foods like cauliflower to weight loss, as they may reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness. Both of these factors may reduce your calorie intake according to this study. In addition, cauliflower rice is low in carbs. It provides 18 times fewer carbs than the same quantity of rice

Net carbs is a way for people following a keto diet or paleo to measures the number of carbs your body ends up digesting from food that you are eating. You can figure a food or dishes net carbs by subtracting a food’s grams of fiber from its total carbs.

While carbs are an important source of energy, many people follow low carb diets like the ketogenic diet to try to lose weight. So, cauliflower rice could be particularly helpful for people looking to reduce their carb intake and lose weight.

So switching to cauliflower rice versus white rice can decrease calories and decrease carbs but still feel full.

What You Might Notice When You Switch

Cauliflower in general has a high amount of fiber which can be a very big pro for those trying to improve their digestive health but if you aren’t used to eating fiber in your diet you may experience some minor gas or bloating when you eat lots of it raw, sort of like someone who isn’t used to eating beans.  You can always blame it on the dog!

But if you can slowly increase the fiber in your diet it can be very good for you.  Cauliflower rice is a bit easier to digest than regular cauliflower so most people don’t have any problems.  And the fiber in cauliflower rice helps feed the healthy bacteria in your gut promoting good digestive health.

People with thyroid issues may not be able to eat the cauliflower rice uncooked (but who would want to eat rice uncooked anyway?) Just because ya can doesn’t mean ya should.  When you cook or steam cauliflower or other cruciferous vegetables it is supposed to break down the substances that can irritate your thyroid. 

Store-bought Cauliflower Rice

Now you know us here at Southernplate.com enjoy preparing foods from scratch or if it’s easier to by it already prepared that’s fine too.  Do whatever cranks your trailer. 

Store-bought cauliflower rice is just that.  It’s a quick substitute for homemade BUT it’s usually best to thaw it out overnight and then squeeze the moisture out of it so it may even be quicker to do fresh.  So enough babbling, it’s time to learn how to make cauliflower rice!

Ingredients needed to make this rice recipe are:

Medium head cauliflower or 16 ounces store-bought cauliflower rice
Butter or substitute like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
Garlic, minced
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh herbs parsley, dill, cilantro, or basil
Lemon or Lime juice

 

How To Make Homemade Cauliflower Rice Step by Step

To turn a head of cauliflower into rice, there are two options. Use a food processor or use a box grater. If using a food processor like this one, cut the head of cauliflower into medium chunks and remove the core.

Pulse until the cauliflower is broken down into very small rice like bits. Just like the photo above.  And there you have it, cauliflower rice

If you have a box grater and want to use that then cut the head of cauliflower into quarters and remove the core. Use the medium-sized holes to grate each quarter into small bits resembling rice.

Remove the Moisture

Some say this step is option but I do notice a difference if I don’t don’t remove the moisture by squeezing it out with some cheese cloth or thin dish towel.  The rice doesn’t seem to pick up as much flavor and it tends to be more soggy than I like when I skip this step

Now let’s get to seasoning this rice…

How to Make Cauliflower Rice with Herbs

Heat skillet and add the butter.

When the butter is melted and bubbling, stir in the garlic. Cook the garlic, stirring it around the pan, until fragrant, about 20-30 seconds.

Add the cauliflower rice, salt, and a few bits of black pepper.

Cook, stirring every once and a while, until the cauliflower rice is crisp-tender and starts to turn light brown in places, 7 to 12 minutes.

Take the skillet off of the heat, and then stir in the lemon (or lime) juice.

Add the fresh herbs

Add more salt, pepper or lemon (or lime) juice to taste and stir it up!

Sometimes I add toasted nuts to give it a good ole crunch.  Cauliflower rice often has a nutty taste to it when cooked but if you like things a little crunchy like I do, then go on, add those toasted nuts.

This dish makes a great low carb side dish or add some chicken and make it a main meal.

Can You Freeze Cauliflower Rice?

Yes 🙂  I strongly recommend freezing the rice after preparing if you aren’t going to cook it right away.  But make sure you press out the moisture before freezing and let thaw before cooking for best results.  It can keep for up to a month when frozen.  If you don’t freeze I would keep it in a sealed container, and it will probably last you 3-4 days fresh in the fridge.

Here are some other recipes with rice that you may want to try cauliflower rice with:

Red Beans and Rice Recipe Louisiana Style from Hello Fresh

Cheesy Chicken And Rice Crock Pot Version

Simply Delicious Chicken & Rice Soup

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole

 

 

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