I have been craving all dishes that are Mexican inspired lately. I just cant get enough taco salads and burrito bowls and fajita chicken... Mexican cheese and sour cream and pickled jalapeños.... like I seriously am addicted!!! To go along side or underneath all of these awesome dishes I needed a bomb Mexican rice. This is not authentic by any means BUT it is delicious and it's super easy and totally customizable so I hope that makes up for the fact that it is not at all authentic.
Use your favorite salsa and go to town!!! This versatile dish is even perfect with rice, just sub some cooked rice for the cauliflower. You can please everyone with this dish! It almost sounds too easy... but its seriously a game changer for all you Mexican cravings!
low carb Mexican Rice- Serves 4 (1 cup per serving)
4 cups of riced cauliflower
1 green onion (aka scallion), sliced thin with b green and white separated
1/2 cup low carb salsa, I use Frontera Brand
1 Tbsp of butter, divided
1 Tbsp taco seasoning, get my recipe HERE)
Melt 1/2 Tbsp of butter over medium high heat.
Add in the white part of the scallion and stir.
After one minute add in the riced cauliflower and stir.
Add in another 1/2 Tbsp of butter and stir
Then add in the taco seasoning. Stir well to incorporate.
Cook for 3 minutes.
Add in the salsa, stir and cook for another 3 minutes. This helps cook out the raw cauliflower taste.
Top with the green top of the scallion and serve! Enjoy!
Nutritional Facts
Per Serving:
56 Calories
2.2 Grams of Protein
2 Grams of Carbs
*this is the nutritional facts for exactly the ingredients I used. If you use different salsa I encourage you to use the My Fitness Pal app to figure out the exact macros for your dish*
This recipe is hands down in my top ten. When I'm looking to make a simple and quick side dish that I know Jason will love I always always make this cauli-rice. I recently made a batch of this rice and added it to my lunch prep too! Follow me on Snap Chat to see things like that! ID: lilpieceofhart Also....Something really cool that happened to me the other day - I was in Wegmans grocery store shopping and they have a lil kiosk where people make samples of food and hand them out and I smelled what the woman was making and I'm like "I know that smell" lol and sure enough I was right- it was cauliflower rice! She made it just like me and it made me smile. And to answer your question- OF COURSE I tried it. haha It was amazing. As much as I enjoy cooking I really do enjoy when I can try other peoples food too. I'm just food obsessed. The ush. Ok, ok I'll get on with the recipe. It's literally so good. I used to make it all the time with brown rice and now I use cauliflower rice instead and dare I say it's better?!? Try it!
lil carb Cauliflower Rice with Garlic & Peas- Makes 4 servings
4 cups cauliflower (1/2 a large head), riced
-(Link for how to rice cauliflower)- leave the cauliflower raw after you food process it or grate it.
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 Tbsp butter (I use salted butter), divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Grate up your cauliflower and set aside.
In a large skillet on medium high heat add in 1 tablespoon of butter and the vegetable oil.
Right after you add in the butter and oil add in the garlic. This will help infuse the garlic flavor into the oil and butter and they will all heat up together. Once the garlic just starts to become golden brown add in the cauliflower.
Mix well to coat the cauliflower rice in the butter and oil.
Low the heat to medium and add in salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.
Mix well.
Make a well in the middle of your pan and add in the peas. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds then mix in with the rice and allow to cook for about 1 minute until they are warmed through.
Then add in remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
Taste for seasoning- add more spices or salt and pepper to your taste.
Then... ENJOY!
Watch me make this side dish and see how easy it really is!!!
Who doesn't love Rice-A-Roni?! It really is a tasty side dish that goes with a lot of different menus. I saw a commercial the other day and I can't believe I never posted my low carb version! Here you have my cauliflower 'rice' version so now everyone can enjoy Rice-A-Roni's low carb cousin! You will be licking your plate clean with this side dish because not only does it pack a whole ton of flavor but it is so super simple that you can whip this up any day of the week! I made my version with some healthy grilled chicken. But the sky is the limit with this one. ENJOY!
lil carb Rice-A-Roni - Serves 2
1/2 head of cauliflower, riced (about 2 cups)**
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 tsp chicken bouillon seasoning (I use the one pictured--->
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp butter
Pepper
Add the oil into a skillet over medium heat.
Add in the onion and sauté for a few minutes until they soften and the edges brown slightly.
Add in the cauliflower and stir.
Cook for 1 minute to warm up the cauliflower.
Next, add in the bouillon seasoning, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder and a pinch of pepper.
Stir.
Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and stir until it has all evaporated- a minute or so.
This recipe is a wonderful take on a popular and classic rice side dish. Such a simple recipe and since we are using cauliflower "rice" instead of actual rice the dish comes together in minutes! Yes... MINUTES! This recipe is also a great start for a lot of tasty meals. I am going to use this "rice" as a base for low carb burrito bowls! The possibilities are endless!
The start of this dish is 1/2 a head of cauliflower that has been "riced".
See my previous blog post to see how I did it: How-to "Rice" Cauliflower.
lil carb Cilantro Lime "Rice"- Serves 2-3
1/2 medium head of cauliflower, riced
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1lime zested
1-2 limes, juiced***
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup chicken broth OR vegetable broth
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Start by adding olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
Add in the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens.
Then add the cauliflower rice and stir cooking for another minutes to warm it up.
Add in the cumin and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.
Stir.
Add in the juice of 2 limes and stir.
Fold in half of the cilantro and half of the lime zest.
Add in the broth and stir until it is evaporated.
Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the remaining cilantro and lime zest. Enjoy! ***After making this recipe a few times I had to update the lime amounts. Depending on how juicy your limes are you will need to adjust how many you use. I found that if I got a juicy lime I only needed the zest and juice from one. Taste as you go and add the juice of the second lime if you need it.
Chinese food is such a wonderful guilty pleasure. As is most 'fast food'. It all goes along with the allure of not having to cook and being able to order by phone and pick up in 15 minutes. That used to be my favorite thing to do especially on nights when I just wasn't in the mood to cook. Once I began the low carb journey I was really sad to think I would never be able to taste those flavors again. But once I got comfortable trying new recipes I began recreating flavors I thought I could never eat again. That's the beauty of this blog and why I wanted to start it. You can eat healthy and actually lose weight if you cook with fresh ingredients and stay away from sugar and flour and starch. This is one of those recipes that when I am eating this fried "rice" I feel like I just ordered it and picked it up! It's that good! I hope you like it too! If you try it let me know what you think!
lil carb Cauliflower Fried "Rice"- Serves 3-4
1 head cauliflower- grated
1 medium onion, diced into large chunks
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
3-4 eggs, scrambled/mixed
3-4 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste
**The best way to prepare this "rice" is to prepare all the veggies ahead of time so you can just drop them in the sauté pan or wok - this doesn't take long to cook at all! The key is to mix it constantly because the heat will be on high.
Start out with grating a whole head of cauliflower. Put aside.
Cut up an onion into a big dice. Mince up the garlic. Put aside.
Get the frozen peas and carrots into a measuring cup.
take 3-4 eggs and scramble them in a bowl. Put aside.
Now that all the ingredients are ready heat the olive oil over high heat in a wok or a large skillet.
add in the onions and stir constantly until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Then add in the garlic and cook another minute. Make sure to stir often because the heat is on high.
Then add in the cauliflower and stir well. Let this cook for about 2 minutes until the cauliflower is warmed through then add in the frozen peas and carrots. Stir for another 2 minutes until the frozen veggies are warmed through. Then create a well in the center of the wok/skillet and add in the eggs that were scrambled earlier. Let them sit on the bottom for a few seconds then stir them into the cauliflower mixture. Let this all cook together for about 2 more minutes making sure to stir well. Then pour in the soy sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and then it's ready to be served!
***I served this dish with the General Tso meatball recipe from the blog ibreatheimhungry.com.
The only thing I changed was I used ground beef and I did not use chiles instead I subbed crushed red pepper flakes and used them sparingly.
One of my favorite restaurants called Third and Ferry Fish Market makes an amazing coconut rice and I have been craving it for quite some time- I would order the grilled mahi-mahi covered with pineapple salsa all served over coconut rice- YUM! The best thing about this recipe is - I made this using no rice at all! Instead I used grated cauliflower and oh boy... it was amazing! It also keeps well stored in a tuber ware in the fridge. I just finished the last of it as I am writing this and it was just as tasty as the first night I made it! Pop it in the microwave, sit back and enjoy the flavors! If I would have known it would be this good on the first try of a new recipe I would have doubled it! The best part is, it's one of those recipes where I eat it and I literally think I'm eating rice. In a low-carbers life, what more could ya want?! The subtile flavor of coconut paired with fresh herbs is absolutely perfect. If you are looking for a side dish to accompany grilled fish, chicken or shrimp this is it! It's so versatile and light and summery that it will go with almost anything- OR eat it on it's own! Let me know what you think!
lil carb Basil Coconut Rice- Serves 4
Sauce:
1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk- unsweetened (check the carbs)
2 Cups fresh Basil Leaves
1 small garlic clove
3 Tbsp Jarred Jalapeño Slices
3 Tbsp Butter
4 Scallions, sliced - separate the white and the green
4 Cups cauliflower, grated (about half a large head)
Salt n Pepper to taste
Start by pureeing the 3 sauce ingredients along with 1/4 tsp of salt in a blender for 30 seconds.
**If the mixture is over-blended the coconut milk will separate- so be careful and keep it to a 30 second blend.
Set that aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and sauté for a few minutes. (the smell at this point is intoxicating. Nothing better than onion n butter smell- to ME anyway! When I look at that picture above, I can actually smell it!) Next, add in the cauliflower, coconut milk puree, and an additional 1/2 tsp of salt.
Bring this mixture to a simmer and mix often. Once it is bubbling turn the heat down to medium low and cover with a lid. Let this continue to cook and reduce the sauce for about 20 minutes. I stirred at 10 minutes and 15 minutes into cooking time.
Since it's cauliflower and not rice it will not soak up as much liquid but the puree will reduce down creating a thick sauce.
Once it is nice and thick stir in the scallions greens and season with salt and pepper.
While eating low carb I am constantly craving everyday carbs. Pasta, bread, and definitely rice! It's great when I can recreate these common carbs with a low carb, veggie version. Cauliflower rice might be better than actual white rice and it's so simple!
Using the large holes of a grater, grate half of a cauliflower.
Place in a microwave safe dish.
Season with salt and pepper
and add in 1/2 Tbsp butter.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir add another 1/2 Tbsp of butter and microwave for another 2 minutes.
Fluff with a fork just like rice and it's ready to be served!
Half of a cauliflower served Jason and I perfectly!
