Since I started my gluten free journey, I’ve scoured the internet for recipes that are not only gluten free, but also fit my requirements of being easy and frugal. One of my biggest disappointments was having to give up rice. Yep, I cant even have rice as I’m allergic to it. : ( I’m happy to announce that I have found a fantastic alternative though, Cauliflower Rice! Think you don’t like cauliflower? Well think again, because this stuff is awesome. It’s surprisingly delicious, very easy-to-make, and even my super picky husband, who doesn’t care for cauliflower, and absolutely hates rice enjoyed it.
There are quite a few recipes for this tasty dish on the internet, but most of them add a lot of ingredients to it. I wanted to make something simpler though, and experimented until I came up with this yummy version. It’s fast and taste great, I even had some of the leftovers the next day mixed in with scrambled eggs and loved it. I cant wait to use it in my next stir-fry.
This recipe is gluten free and Paleo friendly.
Ingredients
- 1/2 head of cauliflower
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon pure olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Rinse cauliflower and pat dry with a towel.
- Remove the stalk and place florets in a food processor.
- Pulse the florets until they have reached a rice-like consistency, this only takes a few seconds. (You can also use a cheese grater to grate the cauliflower.) Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and saute the onion and garlic over medium heat.
- Once onion is tender and translucent, being careful not to burn the garlic, add the cauliflower and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cover with a lid and saute for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the cauliflower at the 5 minute mark for doneness. You want it to have the consistency of cooked rice. (Be careful, If you overcook it, it will become mushy).
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve as you would rice.
Notes
*Did you know you can freeze Cauliflower Rice? You sure can! Once you've "Riced" the cauliflower, measure it out into freezer baggies, squeeze as much air as possible out, seal, label and freeze. To use, remove the cauliflower from the freezer to defrost a bit, then proceed with the above recipe.
april
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OK - you've got my curiosity
It looks good and super and I simply need to try it :)
Winnie, I was so happy to discover this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
Amazing! I am so glad it works for you, and your husband!!
We really like cauli-rice….but I never thought to add it to eggs. Genius! Visiting from Mix It Up Monday.
Stacy, I had Spanish and Asian friends when I lived in Chicago, and adding rice to their eggs was a common practice. It taste just as good with the cauliflower rice. :)
I've been wanting to try this, but was afraid it wouldn't turn out…thanks for the great review and simple recipe! Now I can't wait to make it. Thanks for sharing at Mix it up Monday :)
It really is tasty Lisa, and filled a huge hole in my diet. I loved rice and ate a lot of it before I changed my diet, so this dish was definitely needed. I hope you get to try it soon.
Looks just like rice, but I bet is tastes so much better. Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
This sounds great! We don't use the microwave. What do you think would be better - steam it in a steam basket or add it directly to the pan and cook a little while to soften with the onion and garlic? Thanks! :)
Great question Deanna! I updated the instructions in the notes section of the recipe, for those who prefer not to use a microwave. Just add a lid to the pan as you cook the cauliflower, to steam the rice as it's cooking.
Oh I am so glad I found this! I have seen something on cauliflower rice, but I was worried about the taste. I do not like raw cauliflower. I really need to try this.
It's really tasty Susan, and doesn't taste like raw cauliflower at all. Hope you enjoy it!
Hopping over from the Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party to say that this looks fabulous! My family won't eat straight-up cauliflower but I can usually trick them into eating it if I do the whole pureed thing like mashed potatoes. So I'm think this faux rice would work as well…thanks for the inspiration!
Your welcome Samantha and thanks for dropping by. Hope your family enjoys it! :)
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and hope to see you soon!
Miz Helen
I am gluten free and can be a picky eater! This looks great! I cannot wait to try it!
Pinned it! Thanks for sharing this with us at One Sharendipity Place this weekend!!
Krys @thet2women.com
Thank you for pinning it Krystle, and I hope you enjoy it. :)
Hi April! What a great idea! Thank you SO much for joining us and sharing at Best of the Weekend! Pinning to our party board. Hope to see you next Friday night and please have a wonderful weekend!
Found you from the Super Sunday Link Party. I love to use cauliflower in all kinds of different ways. My favorite way so far is to use it as a substitute for mashed potatoes. I never thought to try using it as a substitute for rice, but it makes perfect sense! Definitely going to try this! Pinning it now!
Thank you Kristin! I haven't tried the mashed cauliflower yet, but will be soon. I need to check and see if you have a recipe for it on your blog. :)
Wow this is something I have never heard of before. Wow worth trying for sure.
Definitely going to try this with curry. Thanks for the recipe.