Most people love dishes that contain rice. Rice can literally pair with any flavor, protein, or veggie and there’s something about rice that makes it so comforting. This versatile grain can be found in many dishes across the globe and is in almost every culture.
The new trend many people are talking about is a gluten-free replacement to rice, called cauliflower rice. Have you heard or tried cauliflower rice before?
If you haven’t tried it, you might think that there’s no way a crunchy, tasteless, cruciferous veggie could ever replace the tenderness and comfort of rice has to offer. But, you will be surprised to how satisfying and flavorful cauliflower rice can be, once you start cooking with it.
White Rice Versus Cauliflower Rice
Rice is a topic that is kind of a considered a controversial subject. On one side, nutritional professionals and coaches believe and say that rice is just filled with empty calories. These leaders in the nutritional field recommend others to avoid rice completely. The reasoning behind this is because, rice contains quite a bit of carbs. Still there are still those who believe rice is a safe carbohydrate to consume.
But, Aren’t Carbs Bad for You?
Carbohydrates lately are getting a lot of negative press, but your body craves and loves certain carbohydrates. For one, carbohydrates are a large source of energy for your brain. You have to be the one to choose which carbs are best for you. Go for quality sourced carbs and time your intake as well.
Listed below are a few varieties of white rice.
- White
- Basmati
- Jasmine
- Brown
- Wild
Why Should You Reduce Your Rice Intake?
In today’s world, we live in an era in which many health foods are being questioned. This all has to do with the way a food is produced and processed.
Brown rice is usually considered a healthier choice then white rice. Many grains like rice, contain different levels of anti-nutrients like phytates which makes it difficult for your body to absorb the minerals that the grain contains. Brown rice technically has more nutrients than white rice, but contains a high level of phytates or phytic acid.
White rice is considered safe in moderation. When rice is milled, the fibrous part called the bran is removed. This process creates “white” rice instead of brown. This process also removes most of the phytic acid in the rice which makes it more digestible and less harmful to the gut.
The popular belief that whole grains are actually healthier for you, is false. But, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some of your favorite rice dishes. You just need to switch up your rice ingredient to perhaps cauliflower rice.
Why Eat Cauliflower Rice?
When you are trying to heal your body, eating light, easy digestible foods is the correct way to forward your body’s healing process.
There are many health benefits to eating cauliflower rice, but the most important is that it contains health-promoting phytonutrients, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, and other minerals. Cauliflower also contain natural antioxidants like carotenoids, tocopherols, and ascorbic acid.
These antioxidants are very helpful when it comes to protecting your body against free-radicals. Free-radical damage could cause inflammatory issues, respiratory concerns, and aging signs. When you have an excess amount of oxidative stress, your body can alter the functions and structures of lipids and proteins. This is bad because, you need to have a properly functioning body to keep you strong.
As you can see, there are many health benefits when it comes to choosing cauliflower rice than choosing plain rice.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
It’s cheap and easy to make and when you taste it, you won’t believe your not eating a grain.
So why can cauliflower rice be a great substitute for rice? Well, if you make it right, it comes out light, fluffy and tender. Unlike rice, which can create heavier dishes, cauliflower rice is great for creating something lighter but still filling. Plus, as an extra bonus, you’ll be consuming more vegetables.
Preparation:
Wash the cauliflower head and remove all of the greens. After you rinsing, you can cut the cauliflower head into small floret pieces. There are 2 ways you can create the rice.
1: you can use a box grater to create a fine ricey feel.
or 2: You can place the small floret pieces in a food processor. (easier way)
Tip: Before cooking the cauliflower rice, squeeze out the excess moisture. Place the rice onto a large paper towel and press down hard. If you forget this step, you could end up having soggy cauliflower rice.
Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5-10 minutes
Yields: 4 cups
What You’ll Need:
- 1 Cauliflower head
- Dash pepper & salt
- 1 or 2 lime wedges
- Dash rosemary
What to Do:
Place the cauliflower rice into a pan on medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid. This will keep the steam from escaping which will turn your cauliflower rice tender.
Cook for about 6-8 minutes, occasionally stirring. During the cook time, add in a dash of salt, pepper, lime, and dried rosemary.
Your cauliflower rice is ready.
Let’s Recap
If you want to enjoy your favorite rice dishes in the healthiest way, try replacing rice with some cauliflower rice. It’s easy to make, digest, and gives you much more health benefits, which your body will thank you in the long run.
The cauliflower recipe is just a way to start, but you can get creative in the kitchen. I like to add spinach and garlic to the recipe sometimes. It’s a perfect lunch option.
