Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice –  The South has a long time history of both growing and loving rice.  It’s a staple in low country cooking, Cajun and Creole cuisine and so many other dishes that we enjoy.  I have seen many recipes for cauliflower rice as a lower carb alternative and admit I was skeptical.  In my mind there was just no replacement for the real thing.  So with that in mind, I thought it was worth a whirl so I set out to try it.

After an initial run of making it in the microwave I thought it was a bit tasteless while it did have a surprisingly satisfying texture similar to the chew you get with rice.  So I decided to make it on the stovetop in a skillet and try seasoning it a bit more.  The result made a believer out of me.  It goes well with any meal where rice would normally be served if you’d like a lower carb option.  Added bonus is, my son liked it which means he was eating a vegetable.  Score for Mom.  I used a large head of cauliflower so the seasonings in the recipe reflect this.  If you make a smaller batch or use a small head of cauliflower just adapt the seasonings to  your taste.  I recommend using a food processor pulsing until it reaches the texture that you like.  Otherwise, use a box grater and grate the cauliflower.  It’s a no guilt side dish and it made a believer out of me.

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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Servings 6 -8

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 3 green onion finely chopped
• Olive oil
• 2-3 tsp garlic salt [more or less to your taste]
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 small lime juiced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1-2 Tbsp light butter

Instructions

1. Remove the core from the cauliflower and separate the florets into smaller pieces. Place into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade. Pulse in batches until it resembles rice. Remove to a bowl, and repeat pulsing any large pieces until all of the florets are used.
2. In a large heavy bottomed skillet cook the chopped green onion in a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Cook until softened around 1 minute.
3. Add the cauliflower rice, garlic salt and chicken broth. Stir well.
4. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally until crisp tender or to your preferred texture.
5. Uncover and add the lime juice and cilantro and 1-2 Tbsp light butter. Mix well.
6. Serve immediately.