Hello Cauliflower rice bowls …
Where have you been my whole life?
This meal was so good that the first time I made it, Matt took one bite, said “woah.. ” and then asked if this could be put into our frequent meal rotation. I will say that this cauliflower bowl is better than any normal rice bowl you might make but even better – without the carbs! The best part about these bowls is that you can throw anything in them – no need to follow a recipe exactly. It’s a great way to be creative and playful with your meal or simply to use some ingredients in the fridge that need to be eaten soon.
I often look at a plate of food and say .. it needs a bit of green . . or red … or some color. I like to think if the plate is full of color than we have a good healthy meal in front of us. That’s one of my favorite things about this meal. It’s full of amazing colors for the eyes. I hope your eyes (and stomach!) enjoy it too!!
Also, I know time is precious. You can make the components of this meal ahead of time and have an easy and delicious meal waiting for you and your family when you come home after a long day.
Happy eating!
It all starts with the cauliflower head. I like to cut the cauliflower into 4-6 wedges and use a food processor or grater to grate the cauliflower into rice. You can even buy pre grated cauliflower at many markets to save time. (Buying the full head and making it yourself will be more economical)
Mix the salsa, lime juice, cilantro and seasoning in with the cauliflower rice + optional ground turkey. If you like lamb, I’ve also made this with ground lamb – it is delicious!!
Onions and peppers! I like to use purple onions because 1. I like the taste of purple onions better and 2. It adds great color to your meal!
Black beans are a great source of fiber!
(I also remember listening to a podcast on NPR that said a study found that communities that ate beans as a staple of their diets tended to live longer, healthier lives … I’m all for that!)
Assemble the bowl!
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- CAULIFLOWER RICE
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- - 1 cauliflower head, grated into rice
- - 1 red onion
- - 2 limes juiced
- - 3 garlic cloves - minced
- - olive oil
- - 1/3 cup of green salsa
- - 1 tsp ground cumin
- - 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- - 1/4 cup cilantro - chopped
- - salt (to taste)
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- BEANS
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- - 15-ounces of black beans
- - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- - 1/2 tsp chili powder
- - 1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
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- PEPPERS & ONIONS
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- - 1 red onion - cut lengthwise
- - 1 small red onion or 1/2 a med/large red onion
- - 1/2 pound ground turkey (optional)
- - olive oil
- - salt (to taste)
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- KALE
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- - kale
- - 1 garlic clove
- - olive oil
- - salt & pepper to taste
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- EXTRA
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- - 1 Avocado
- - Cilantro
- - Lime
- 1. Prep cauliflower to make rice - cut cauliflower into wedges, cut off green stalks - use a food processor to pulse into rice or use a grater to manually grate the cauliflower into rice. Heat a large skillet with oil add cauliflower and lightly saute for 3 minutes, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Take off heat and transfer to bowl. (This can be made ahead of time)
- 2. Heat a large rimmed skillet on medium heat. Add oil, garlic, onion, salt and pepper to the skillet. Sautee for about 1 minute stirring often. *If adding meat, add now - stir until fully cooked. Add in the cauliflower rice and mix together. Cover with lid for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cauliflower should be al dente. Remove from heat and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salsa and fresh cilantro. Stir to combine and taste and adjust seasonings accordingly, adding salt, pepper, lime juice, salsa, or more spices as desired. Set aside.
- *If adding ground meat, add ground meat with seasoning and cook fully before adding the cauliflower rice to the skillet.
- 2. Using the same skillet, heat it again over medium-high heat. When hot add - oil, pepper, pepper and salt/pepper to taste. Stir frequently until pepper are slightly soft but still vibrant in color, about 3-4 minutes. I like to leave them with a a bit of crunch to them! Remove from pan and place in medium mixing bowl.
- 3. Keep that skillet out and bring back to medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Stir for 1 minute until garlic gives off that amazing smell. Add kale and salt. Saute, stirring often for about 4-5 minutes until kale is softened. Set aside.
- 4. Add rinsed beans to a small pan over medium heat and season with spices to taste.
- To serve, divide rice, kale, beans, and peppers between serving bowls. Serve with avocado slices, cilantro and lime juice.
- Best fresh, but can be made and kept for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy!
- * The joy of this recipe and concept is that you can be creative and resourceful by including and subtracting your own version. For example, if you have too much zucchini in the fridge - add zucchini to this dish! Possibilities are endless.
Happy Eating!!
