Mexican Cauliflower “Rice”

All the flavors from traditional Mexican Rice without all the carbs! This version uses cauliflower in place of rice, which makes it the perfect light and healthy side dish.

If you’ve been with me for a while you probably know I have a sweet little cat named Basil. She’s 11 years old now and aside from sleeping a lot, she really shows no signs of aging. Basil truly is a kitten at heart. I’ve had her since she was 4 weeks old so she’s like my baby. I’m not kidding when I say that – she is SO attached to me and actually walks around meowing when I’m not home. 

Kyle on the other hand, she is not so fond of. We like to joke and say that if she could kill him she probably would 

Basil likes to keep him up at night – either by jumping on him or knocking stuff over until he gets up and brings her to bed. Once she’s in bed she lays on me purring away and happy. Until she decides to wake him up again. I rarely wake up during all of this commotion (I’m a heavy sleeper). 

Last night around 3:30 am Kyle heard a loud thud and went into the living room to see what she knocked over. It was a candle that I recently bought and shattered to pieces. I woke up after the fact and came to see what was happening – glass everywhere and Basil sitting there with a guilty face. There were also decorative pumpkins scattered all over the floor. 

We couldn’t leave glass all over the carpet so there we are picking up pumpkins and running the vacuum at 3:30 am. After that, I couldn’t sleep. Once I’m up it’s really hard for me to fall back to sleep 

By the way, when Kyle was on a work trip a few weeks back, Basil slept through the night. So it looks like she really does have it out for him!

Ok, let’s talk cauliflower “rice”. It’s nothing like regular rice, obviously. However, if you’re looking to cut carbs, eat Paleo, or are doing Whole30 this is a great option. I took all of the flavors in my Mexican Rice and used grated cauliflower in place of the rice. 

Kyle, who hates cauliflower, actually said if he had to eat cauliflower this is how he would want it! We had it with the chipotle pulled pork lettuce wraps and it was a delicious and filling meal. With the leftovers I topped the cauliflower “rice” with some of the pulled pork and drizzled it with avocado aioli for a healthy burrito bowl. That was delicious too!

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you this doesn’t taste like cauliflower – it does. It is cauliflower after all. However, with all of the flavors going on here it’s a really fun and tasty way to enjoy cauliflower. Which, is one of my favorite vegetables, so I’d eat it no matter what. 

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Mexican Cauliflower “Rice”

Serves 4

All the flavors from traditional Mexican Rice without all the carbs! This lightened up version uses cauliflower, which makes it the perfect side during Whole30.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

15 min

Ingredients

1. 1 Head Small/Medium Cauliflower, I used orange cauliflower, but white works just as well!
2. 1 Tablespoon Extra-Light Olive Oil
3. 1 Tablespoon Ghee*
4. 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
5. 2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
6. 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (make sure there’s no added sugar)
7. Salt & Pepper, to taste
8. ½ Cup Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth
9. Fresh Cilantro Leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. Grate the cauliflower using a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil and ghee in a large skillet over high heat and add in the onion and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes or until softened and fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
3. Add in the cauliflower and the chicken broth and mix well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Remove the cauliflower rice from the heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve alongside any of your favorite Mexican dishes!

Notes

1. *You can use all olive oil if you can't find ghee or want this to be vegan.