Cauliflower Rice Recipe

Cauliflower Rice South West Style

Southwestern Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

1 head Cauliflower
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 onion caramelized  (see instructions below)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 jalapeno (finely chopped) if desired
10 small cherry tomatoes
1 diced bell peppers
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 TBSP cilantro (chopped fine)
3 Tbsp. of butter or ghee
½ tsp. parsley chopped
½ cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. salt preferably Celtic Sea salt- coarse
1 tsp. Himalayan salt
1 cup frozen peas
1 Tbsp. Harrissa (sweet Tunisian pepper condiment)
½ cup of Chimichurri or Salsa Verde

Directions:

Roast the cauliflower in oven at 375 for 1 hour and 15 minutes too medium browned with olive oil, 1 tsp. of each: salt and garlic powder.
It is best to layer seasonings.

Meanwhile, begin to caramelize onions. (see below)

Leave in hot oven for a few hours. Best to cook in oven day before.  Then chill the cauliflower in fridge.

Begin to sauté, in 2 Tbsp. Ghee, cook the onions, cherry tomatoes and red bell pepper. Add jalapeno. Cook until veggies are soft about 10 minutes over medium heat.

Sauteed Onions & Tomatos 

While this is sautéing. Pulse in food processor. (Do not hold the button down or rice will become over processed.) Remember we are making cauliflower into rice size pellets. So add cauliflower into food processor. Season with garlic powder and salt.

How to make Cauliflower Rice Homemade Cauliflower Rice

Assembling the Rice and Veggies:

When vegetables are sautéed, Add 1 more Tbls. of ghee and the cauliflower rice.

Add the cumin, garlic powder and salt, oregano. Salsa verde and Harissa. Finally add the vegetable broth, the salt and garlic powder, peas, cilantro and parsley.

This is the most flavorful way to eat rice and get nutritional value to your family and friends with out them even knowing they are eating Cauliflower! Amazing dish to discover. Stay tuned for more variations on this recipe.

Caramelize Onions Ingredients:

1 large onion diced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ cup Sherry or Marsala wine

Caramelizing Onions Directions:

First begin by caramelizing 1 large diced onion. Add oil to saute pan and heat well. Then add onions, sea salt, ? garlic powder and cook over medium heat for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. When well browned, add ¼ cup of Sherry wine and ?simmer for approx. 3 minutes longer to absorb the Sherry flavor.  Cool off onion mixture.

Onions can be stored in fridge for a few days.

curried-cauliflower

Curry Cauliflower w/Raisins & Pecans

Whole Head Of Roasted Cauliflower.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower (approx. 2 pounds)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water

Dressing:
1 ½ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of organic Mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 carrot shredded
1 stalk celery diced fine
½ medium onion finely diced
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 cup pecans
½ cup raisins dark

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small roasting pan place entire cauliflower in oven with water at bottom of pan. Drizzled with olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 35  minutes. Chill cauliflower in fridge.
Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces or medium florets. Toss the cauliflower in a large bowl with 1/2 curry powder and salt.
Mix dressing on side:
In a separate bowl mix mayonnaise, salt, garlic powder, shredded carrots, celery, onions, raisins and pecans until well blended. Pour over chilled cauliflower.  Garnish with cherry tomatoes or other complimentary vegetables of choice.

 

There is no need to disassemble or cut any cauliflower   or even squash before it is cooked. Just add the whole squash or cauliflower in the oven, cook for ½ hour to an hour, and “cut later,” philosophy.

After cooking it is so much easier to cut cauliflower into florets,  given the softness.

This recipe is a great alternative to any fall meal and can be the main attraction on your Thanksgiving table.   The nuts and raisins gives this a hint of sweetness and autumn.

Roasting cauliflower gives an added texture and “nuttiness” to this vegetable. No longer is it necessary to boil cauliflower. Roasting it gives us so many more options.

Cauliflower in all its glory takes on the flavor of it’s spices and condiments making this one of the most versatile vegetable at any meal.

Happy Spicy Condiment Cooking!

jimmy-nardello-peppers

Red Caramelized Peppers

Red Jimmy Nardello Peppers

Jimmy Nardello are the greatest pepper find of the season These peppers  are super sweet. Plus as you roast them in the oven they get sweeter to the point of caramelization. Peppers do not require peeling after the roasting process as many other peppers do. This makes them my favorite pepper. Look for heirloom sweet red Jimmy Nardello peppers right now at your local Farmers’ Market.  Buy as many peppers as you can they are easily stored on your counter as a condiment.

Ingredients:

2 roasting pans
2-3 lbs Jimmy Nardello Peppers
1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. garlic powder

½ cup fruity olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350.

Lay peppers in a single layer in both roasting pans.

Pour oil over the peppers. Add salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Cook for exactly one hour and turn oven off.
Leave peppers in the oven for next 5 hours as peppers caramelizes (be sure your oven is off).

Start this simple recipe in the morning and when you get home from work you will have a sweet snack or side dish with your dinner.
Leave on the counter versus storing it in the refrigerator.

Roasted Yellow Zucchini with Garlic Aioli

One of the most delicious squashes is this yellow squash. If you are not a fan of vegetables, the way this is prepared will change your mind. The roasted garlic Aioli sauce and the pesto give these vegetable an added boost of flavor.  Enjoy this special preparation as yellow squash is plentiful most of the year.

Ingredients:

3  yellow squash sliced approx 1/4 inch slices
½ large onion sliced thin
¼ tsp coconut oil to coat bottom of roasting pan
1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbl. Roasted Garlic Aioli- Stonewall Kitchen
2 Tbsp. Pesto sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease roasting pan with coconut oil.

Add yellow squash to roasting pan.

Add pesto and garlic sauce, mix with a large spoon until squash is evenly coated.

Season squash with garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano. Spread out evenly in the roasting pan. Add olive oil over top. Do not toss.

Bake 35 minutes or until it is nicely browned.

Enjoy!!!

Spriralized zuchinni noodles

Veggie Pasta with Pesto Sauce *Gluten Free*

We all love pasta, especially us Italians!  Pasta is one of my favorite foods in the world.  Most people haven’t tried their pasta with pesto which means their missing out on an amazing flavorful experience. This healthy recipe is a great runner up to a traditional pasta pesto dish.

I decided to make this strictly vegetarian. When I saw the already spiralized noodles at Whole Foods Market staring at me in all it’s colorful grandeur, I knew I had to do something yummy with them. I mean the vibrant orange of the butternut squash, and the green of the zucchini and the orange of the carrots, were calling my name. I knew my pesto pasta was the best way to decorate these vegetables. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. All the work is done already for you, it’s a matter of assembling these ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups of spiralized vegetables
(Spiralized zucchini, carrot and butternut squash  *Whole Foods*)

6 cups water

2 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)

1 tsp. Pistachio Oil or other nut Oil

2 cloves fresh garlic

½ tsp. red crushed pepper flakes

4 Tbsp. pesto sauce (*Whole Foods*)

2 Tbsp. Pignoli nuts

½ cup of organic vegetable broth

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

½ cup hemp seeds

mixed spiralized vegetables

Directions:

Combine 6 cups of water in a sauce pan with a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt. When water reaches a rapid boil, add spiralized vegetables for 5 minutes ONLY (just long enough to blanch, be carful not to over cook). Remove, drain and set aside.

pignoli nut recipe

In a large sauté pan add: chopped garlic, red crushed pepper, pignoil nuts & salt, stirring constantly over medium heat for approx. 2 minutes. Make sure the garlic only slightly toasts. Add cooked spiralized vegetable. Toss for 2 minutes to blend all the oil flavors with the vegetable “pasta”.  Add pistachio oil. Stir for 1 minute longer then add the pesto sauce along with the vegetable broth and let it cook for 4 minutes longer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and finish it off with a topping of hemp seeds. These add a nice texture.

healthy veggie pasta with pesto sauce

ENJOY!