Cauliflower (or broccoli) rice

You’ll already know my recipe for creamy cauliflower mash from this blog but I’m discovering even more ways to use this versatile vegetable.  My latest discovery is cauliflower “rice”.  It’s really simple to make and only takes 5 minutes to cook.  We substitute it for rice with our curries and chillies.  Yum – and you don’t feel drowsy afterwards.  You can rice lots of cauliflower at the same time and store it uncooked in self seal bags/airtight containers in the freezer.  To use, simply empty into the steamer (no need to thaw, just break it up with your hands) and steam away.  As the title implies, broccoli works just as well for making “rice”.  You can even buy frozen broccoli rice in some supermarkets.

For 4 large servings

1 large head cauliflower (about 750g)
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of Atlantic sea salt/Himalayan salt

You will also need a food processor and a steamer (the sort with holes you place on top of a saucepan is fine).

1. Break the cauliflower into large florets and discard the large stalks (any more than around 2cm thick).
2. In the food processor, pulse until the cauliflower particles are the size of grains of rice.
3. Place in a steamer over boiling water.  Steam for 5 minutes.  Serve with your favourite curry, chilli con carne or vegetarian chilli.

Why this is amazing for you:
The advantage of cauliflower over rice is cauliflower doesn’t flood your body with more carbohydrates than you need.  Carbohydrates are foods made up mostly of sugars.  Potatoes, grains (even wholegrains!), fruit juices, certain fruits and of course sugar and honey are all high carbohydrate foods.  Switching to a moderate or low carbohydrate eating style is particularly useful if you want to resolve digestive problems or skin issues.  High carbohydrate eating styles make every health condition worse.  Reducing your carbohydrate foods can even slow or stop hair loss.  A good guideline for a moderate carbohydrate diet is for bread, potatoes, rice or pasta to make up no more than ¼ of your plate at lunch and your evening meal.  Cauliflower is not high in carbohydrates so makes a brilliant substitute for the normal potatoes or rice.  

Cauliflower contains sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, which help reduce excessive oestrogens in your body.  Research proves these have activity against prostate, breast and other hormone driven cancers.  Di-indolyl-methane (DIM) in cauliflower is anti-bacterial, anti viral and helps balance your immune system.  That means less chance of infections and allergies like asthma, hayfever and hives.