Coconut Caulirice

A funny thing about caulirice, you just never know what’s going to work for you until you try it.  

My first attempt at making caulirice (how easy I thought) and the recipe I chose to follow said just put chunks of cauliflower in my food processor and magically, you have caulirice.  So off I go, and magically, i have several tiny pieces of caulirice, and several very large chunks of caulirice.  So, I empty out the small pieces, leave the bigger pieces, add more, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. This shouldn't surprise me as I've already proven many times over that experimenting with recipes rarely comes out perfect the first time, so here we go again. The food processor is a name brand, it should work ok, but maybe the blades need sharpening.  So with blades sharpened, it's time for a second attempt, and here we go.  High speed, low speed, pulse, repeat, repeat, and repeat.  Again, a failed attempt at the perfectly textured caulirice.  Third attempt, a large bowl and a hand grater.  Ah yes, now that is perfect, quite simple really, and it didn't take very long to do a head of cauliflower.  Sometimes technology just isn't as good as the old fashioned way.  Oh, and yes, you can buy it at the store, already "riced", ready to go, unless you are a compulsive "do it yourselfer" like I am.  And there are definately those moments when time is critical and a bag of caulirice from the store would work perfectly!  

Simple Technology

Another funny thing about caulirice is "why"?  When I changed my eating habits to primarily paleo, there were so many suggestions for substitutions for those baked potatos and rice pilaf dishes, you know, the missing starch from your dinner plate.  But I really didn't miss it that much, a plate full of vegetables seemed just fine.  So what is all the fuss about?  But then came the "bowl" recipe, and you know, you really do have to have a bottom layer for your "bowl".  A little quinoa maybe if you allow yourself that, but after trying this recipe when making a "Buddah bowl" with coconut caulirice as the base, I was convinced.  It was so good, and is now a stand alone accompianment for frequent meals.  The coconutty flavor, enhanced by the addition of shredded coconut, is wonderful.  And the pop of flavor from the cilantro, oh so good, it will make you want to serve this a couple times a week! And the "Buddah bowl"? Amazing flavors, expect to see that recipe will be in a future post very soon.

Here's what you need -

6-7 cups chopped cauliflower, about 1 small head
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
 

Add the riced cauliflower to a pan and stir in the light coconut milk, garlic powder, and the shredded coconut.  Cook over medium high heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the caulirice is tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.  Is that all? Yep.  How easy was that.  

Try serving this alongside Hawaiin Chicken or underneath your Beef Stir-Fry.  This is also a perfect base for any "bowl" you create, topping it with protein and other accompaniments.  Try it under a Yumm Bowl!

As I was looking at other caulirice ideas online, another great suggestion I ran across is spending an extra few minutes on your food prep day, grating extra cauliflower, and place it in freezer bags to freeze up to 6 months.  Its a perfect addition to a meal for one of those days, easy to fix and ready to go.  And yes, once again, you can buy it already prepared and frozen, if your mood isn't a "gotta do it myself" kind of day.

There are also many ideas to spice up your caulirice  - Mexican caulirice, Indian Spice, Curry seasoned, so many options!