Comfort Foods Don’t Have To Kill You

My first cuisine adventure was cauliflower rice or cauli-rice as the kids are calling it these days.

I had so many options of how to doctor this rice substitute up, but in the end a childhood comfort food won out.

My mom made (often and at my request) Spanish rice for me growing up. Until recently it was still a comfort food staple in my life. It was a very basic concoction of white rice, onions cooked in some sort of oil until they were a little brown (my fave part), tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt and pepper. That was it, but it was oh so good.

I set out last night determined to make Spanish Cauli-Rice. The verdict…Amazing!!!! As close to the original without being actual rice.

Here is the recipe:

• Onion
• Roma Tomatoes (or diced canned tomatoes if you like)
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Cauliflower

Prepare the sauce:

My name is Jennifer and I am a pepper addict.

I sauteed my onions in just a touch of calorie free fake butter stuff. I blanched 5 roma tomatoes, peeled and diced them. I do not de-seed my tomatoes. I personally like all the seed and tomato guts so I just peel and dice. Toss in tomatoes with sauteing onions and turn on low heat and cover. Cook tomatoes and onions about 40 minutes or so. (If you use canned tomatoes, this time will be significantly decreased.)

Prepare the cauli-rice:

Cauli-Rice!

Chop up cauliflower in to big florets. (Amount just depends on how much you want to make) Pulse in a food processor with blade until the consistency of rice. Put in microwave safe bowl with lid. I seasoned my cauli-rice with a little sea salt, cracked black pepper and the fake butter stuff. Cover and cook in the microwave 5 to 6 minutes. Do not add water. It stay moist enough with its natural water content.

Serve it up! Combine the two and enjoy! I combined the two on a bowl by bowl basis because I did not want to get the cauli-rice to mushy when I nuked the leftovers. By the way it was better for lunch than it was for dinner! I love when that happens.

Bon Appetit,