Spanish Style Cauliflower Rice - Try this Spanish Style Cauliflower Rice on your next enchilada or taco night for a low-carb, healthy and flavorful side dish.
With summer almost starting here at our cabin, I'm ready to indulge in some delicious grilled tacos, lovely fresh salsas and big bowls of stomach filling salads. I crave fresh, bright food with spice and a bit of attitude.
The next time you make tacos or enchiladas, serve this bright and flavorful cauliflower rice with it for a low-carb but totally delicious side dish. You will, or course, know that this isn't rice. We're not trying to trick ourselves into believing that it is rice though. We're simply incorporating more vegetables, and doing it well! Try this today, I bet you'll love it. Don't forget to try my Indian Spiced Cauliflower from my last post too - you won't regret it!
How to Make Spanish Style Cauliflower Rice
First you'll have to start off by 'ricing' your cauliflower. So, cut a large head of cauliflower in half. Then trim off the stem and cut it into florets. You can now 'rice' it in one of three ways. 1. Pulse it in a food processor with an “S” blade. 2. Pop them through the shredding disc of your food processor. 3. Grate it like cheese on the large holes of a hand held box grater. You should end up with about 3-4 cups cauliflower. (Go ahead and prep the other half of your cauliflower and then freeze it for next time!)
Next, get everything else prepped and close at hand. Chop the onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic. Portion your spices and tomato paste.
Now you're ready to cook! Turn a frying pan (I use cast iron) on to medium heat. Add the oil and then the onion, cauliflower and jalapeno. Cook those up for a few minutes and then add the cauliflower and cook that up too. It should get a bit of color but not get mushy at all.
Add the garlic and cook it up for about 30 seconds or so. Then add the tomato paste, bay leaf, water and cumin. Cook it up for a few minutes, until the water cooks off. Then season with salt and pepper and serve it up! Garnish with a squeeze of lime to brighten it up and a little bit of torn up cilantro.
Spanish Style Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ head of cauliflower ((about 3-4 cups when riced))
- ½ small onion (diced)
- 1 celery stalk (diced)
- 1 jalapeno (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste (about ¼ tsp each)
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Cilantro (for garnish (optional))
Instructions
- To 'rice' the cauliflower, either send it through the shredding disc on your food processor, pulse it a few times with the S blade, or grate with the large holes on a box grater. Set aside until needed.
- Heat the oil in a pan, over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 5 minutes
- Turn heat up to medium high and add the cauliflower, then cook for another 4-5 minutes, until it's cooked through, but still a little crisp.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the tomato paste, water, bay leaf, cumin, salt and pepper, and stir.
- Simmer for 5-7 minutes until water has cooked off. Serve. Garnish with squeeze of lime and some cilantro, if desired.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!