Cauliflower is an intimidating food, to be sure. You’re not quite sure how to take it apart, let alone prepare it so that it isn’t a bland, limp mush. But it turns out that cauliflower can be one of your greatest friends – it’s surprisingly easy to handle, versatile, and loaded with benefits. As a cruciferous vegetable, it is incredibly high in vitamin C and potassium, as well as fiber and folic acid. For anyone following a gluten-free, dairy-free, or low-carb diet, cauliflower is a wonderful sustitute for a bunch of basic ingredients. Follow some of these recipes for healthy goodness without sacrificing all the flavor.
Photo by Jeanne Kessira
“Rice”
Grate the cauliflower florets, either by hand or more easily in a food processor, until the pieces are the size of grains of rice. Put the “grains” in a pan with some olive oil and seasoning and just heat it on medium for a few minutes until cooked through. And that’s it! Serve with cheese, follow your favorite risotto recipe, or make the healthiest fried rice you’ve ever tasted.
Photo by Daisy Dolan
” Garlic Mashed Potatoes”
Steam your cauliflower until it’s very tender, purée or mash it until smooth and creamy, and add seasonings and garlic (maybe some butter or cream if you’re feeling sinful). It’s as easy as that! You won’t miss the starchy potatoes at all.
Photo by Lauren Kaplan
“Pizza”
The process is fairly simple: you’ll want to grate your cauliflower until you get small rice-like pieces. Microwave the cauliflower until tender, and once it has cooled mix in an egg, seasonings, and grated cheese. The mixture will come together at which point you can roll it out like you would a regular pizza dough. Add all the typical toppings you’d find on a pizza and you won’t even realize you’re eating vegetables.
Photo by Lauren Kaplan
“Alfredo Sauce”
Replace the fat and dairy in this cream-based sauce with puréed cauliflower that has been thinned out with a stock or milk of your choice. Feel free to guilt-lessly drown your pasta in it…here’s a recipe with more detailed steps.
Photo by Jeanne Kessira
“Tater tots”
Steam the cauliflower until tender, break it up into small pieces…sounds familiar? The difference lies in the preparation: stir flour, cheese and egg into the mix, roll into bite-size pieces, dip in breadcrumbs, and either bake them off or fry them. Delicious, simple, and nutritious.
Look at more vegetable ideas here: