October 3, 2017
Cauliflower. Are you a fan?
It seems to be the trendy, low-carb veggie everyone is raving about these days, but me and cauliflower, we have a hate-hate relationship.
You know those recipes you see floating around on Pinterest that swap bread, cream or potatoes for cauliflower? I’ve tried them all, and I probably didn’t like them.
Cauliflower breadsticks, pizza crust, garlic bread, Alfredo sauce, buffalo wings, mashed potatoes, to name a few. I have tried (and miserably failed) at them ALL.
I’m sure these swaps are great, and can be made delicious in some sort of way, but I have always been completely incapable of making cauliflower taste good. Until now!
Here’s a cool fact: Did you know that the name “cauliflower” comes from the florets, which are actually comprised of thousands of real flowers that are tightly compressed together?
Cauliflower is also a cruciferous vegetable (cruciferous veggies get their name from their buds, which are the shape of a crucifix. Who knew?). Cruciferous veggies such a broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, radish, bok choy, and yes – even cauliflower, are kind of a big deal because they’re insanely high in nutrients, anti-cancer and immune boosting properties.
In other words, you want these beauties in your diet.
Once I was armed with this info, I knew I had to give cauliflower one more try. A friend suggested I try cauliflower rice. I reluctantly grabbed a head of organic cauliflower at the grocery store and decided to give it a try.
Guess what: I LOVED it!
Once I realized that cauli-rice was delicious and could be used for more than just rice dishes (a cruciferous veggie filling for omelettes, lettuce wraps, chili, meatloaf, and a bunch of other yummy things), I knew that batch prepping would make my life so much easier throughout the week. It meant so much less washing, chopping, and prepping – Hallelujah!
Oh. And my son Nate LOVES this stuff. Hello, instant baby food!
I was concerned it would get mushy after freezing it in batches, but it doesn’t! It freezes perfectly, and when laid flat in a ziploc, it can be thawed in a matter of minutes for cooking. Perfect!
Cauliflower Rice (Batch Prep & Freeze)
You will need
- 2 or more heads of cauliflower (Try organic, if you can. The extra dollar per head is WORTH IT, in my opinion.)
- A food processor
- A big spoon or scoop
- Paper Towel
- Freezer bags (Your choice of large ones or smaller for single-servings)
Directions
- Chop the florets from each cauliflower and discard the root/leaves
- Give them a good wash (even if they’re organic!), and shake off any excess water
- Pulse a handful of florets at a time until they get to small, rice-sized pieces
- Pulse too much and you’ll have more of a mash, so be sure to keep an eye on it!
- Transfer to a baking dish and pat as dry as you can with paper towel (This step is optional, but it does help prevent freezer burn if you plan to use large bags!).
- Scoop it into large freezer bags, or smaller ones if you plan to store them in individual servings.
- Press the bags flat and remove any excess air to save freezer space.
- When it’s time to cook, simply grab a single-serve bag straight from the freezer, or break a corner off of your larger bag and toss it right in your pan!
I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on this! Do you like cauliflower? What healthy recipes have you tried that you are loving?
In good health,
Michelle
