Cheesy Cauliflower Rice
Rule #257: Cheese is always a good idea.
‘Tis the season to shed the L-B’s and eat a lil’ healthier, am I right? Well then my dieting friend, if you’re wanting to find a good substitute for rice for your every day dishes, this is just the doozy to do you in. It will take you less than 15 minutes to throw together, and it comes in at about 160 calories per serving (this recipe makes 2 very good-sized portions).
By browning the cauliflower bits for a good little while, you start to break down the pieces into tender little morsels. Adding the cheese and toasting it a little bit gives the texture an added thickness.
We love to have ours with Mexican Pork, Caribbean Pork, Mexican Taco Bowls (recipe coming soon), and many other things where we’d normally have cooked white rice.
The starting lineup: “caulibits” (finely chopped cauliflower – if your store doesn’t sell this, shred or chop 1 head of cauliflower in a food processor), shredded cheese (we use Colby Jack, but you can use cheddar or whatever you fancy), extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), Kosher salt, and black pepper.
First, you’re going to heat your EVOO to shimmering over medium-high heat. Add in the cauliflower, toss to coat in the oil, and let ’em toast until they get deep brown (about 10 minutes).
Make sure to stir it all around every once in a while. Ain’t nobody like burnt cauliflower.
So – I’m going to commit to an entire post on weighing your food, but I wanted to give a little preview to how I do it. I use a scale (this one to be exact) to weigh out the ingredients I’m using. Before you even turn on the scale, set whatever ingredient you’re using on top (in this case: mahhhh cheeeesse). Turn on the scale. It will automatically set its weight to ZERO, so, anything we use will then be a negative on the scale later on. Let me show you:
Here’s my full bag ‘o’ cheese. Scale is at ZERO.
I give a nice, healthy sprinkling of cheese on my cauliflower.
Then, I put the same bag back on the scale minus the cheese I just sprinkled. Voila! It shows a negative of 1.3 oz., so I know I’ve used that much in my recipe. (And yes, I did accidentally throw in that extra .3 oz. of cheese, my bad). Using a scale like this one is so much easier than you think! It’s not for everyone, but for data people + OCD folks like myself, I’m in love.
Give everything a good stir and melt the cheese down. Then, add in your salt and pepper.
Healthy Side Dish: Accomplished.
Cheesy Cauliflower Rice
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 bag cauliflower “bits”, or 1 head cauliflower, grated
1 oz. Colby Jack cheese, shredded (or cheddar)
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add in the cauliflower, stir to coat, and sauté until browned (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle on the cheese, stirring constantly, and cook an additional minute until cheese melts. Stir in salt and pepper.