One of the most important things we can do to improve our diets is to improve the quality of our food sources. While I don’t believe rice is inherently “bad”, the vast majority of people in developed countries consume far too many simple carbohydrates, especially sugar. One way to reduce the amount of carbohydrates while increasing fiber, and many other important vitamins and minerals in our diets is to replace them with vegetables.
Cauliflower lends itself very well to several carbohydrate-swap applications and one is making “rice” out of this versatile cruciferous vegetable. The family of cruciferous vegetables is high in a phytochemical called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates are potent anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds. While there has been concern in some health circles regarding Isothiocyanates competing with iodine absorption and negatively impacting thyroid functioning. However, the research literature shows out-competition only occurs when large quantities of cruciferous vegetables are consumed in the presence if iodine deficiency, which is virtually non-existent in developed countries. That said, to be on the safe side, if you have a thyroid condition, keep cruciferous vegetable intake to 1-2 cooked servings per day.
I’ve used this easy cauliflower rice in several forms recently and I now prefer its more complex flavor to normal rice (my toddler also loves it)! This basic coconut version is wonderful as an accompaniment to curries, stir-fries, or grilled meats.
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into large chunks
- ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3 Tbl coconut oil
- ½ tsp salt
- Cut the head of cauliflower in half. Remove the stem & leaves. Cut cauliflower into small enough chunks to fit into a food processor.
- Place cauliflower into the food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is in very small pieces that resemble rice in size.
- Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to make the "rice" in batches.
- Place a wok or large pan on medium-high heat and add the coconut oil.
- Once the wok is hot, put all of the cauliflower into the wok with the coconut and stir-fry, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your cauliflower. Just before removing the cooked cauliflower from the heat, add the salt & stir thoroughly to incorporate.
*Not all calories are equal.