Today’s recipe is Cauliflower Rice and Peas. It’s alarmingly easy to make. Just zap a head of cauliflower in the blender, tip into a pan with hot oil, garlic, peas and scallions, and toss/saute until cooked. That’s It!
Cauliflower rice is a great alternative to regular rice. Cauliflower has almost ten times less the amount of carbohydrates than white or brown rice. Most importantly, the texture of cauliflower rice provides variety and is a great way to get your kids to eat their veggies.
Adding a little more cauliflower to your diet is a good idea. Cauliflower is full of nutrients and high in fiber. It’s low in calories and carbs, and a great source of antioxidants which helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
For the reasons mentioned above, I regularly make Cauliflower Rice and Peas. Being able to whip it up in minutes is a bonus.
Some of my most vivid memories as a youngster in London were those times I would go to my school friends’ homes to do homework. I remember entering their homes and suffering an assault to the nasal passage from the scent of boiled cauliflower. Crickey, what a scent!
I was taught that it is impolite to refuse food from your host. So I knew that if I was offered what was going on in their kitchens, I would be honor bound to sample it.
Years ago, folks would boil their cauliflower until it was limp and tasteless. In London, they would remedy this tasteless dish by dousing it in a salty gravy, made from instant gravy granules. Tee hee – the good old days.
Thankfully, those days are over. We don’t boil cauliflower within an inch of its life anymore. Likewise, we no longer have to endure that stank smell that stays around for days and envelopes the entire home. Today, we cook vegetables just enough to ensure we keep all those wonderful nutrients that are beneficial to our bodies.
Replace regular rice with this Cauliflower Rice and Peas dish and reap the benefits.
Cauliflower Rice and Peas
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 6 scallions green parts only, sliced into 1 inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment & Utensils
- Blender
- Saute pan
Instructions
- Remove hardy green leaves from cauliflower, then remove the florets.
- Place florets into blender and pulse until each floret has been broken down into grains.
- Heat olive oil in saute pan on high heat and add garlic.
- Saute garlic until flavor releases then add peas.
- Saute peas for a minute or two then add cauliflower.
- Saute and toss cauliflower mixture, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of your pan.
- Add scallions and toss, then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to saute and toss for approx. 1 min, then cover and lower heat to low
- Allow to cook for 3-5 mins until tender, checking once or twice to ensure cauliflower doesn't stick to the pan.
- Serve immediately.
