Healthy cauliflower rice with grilled chicken and a balsamic and basil dressing. This is an excellent way to cut carbs and try something new for dinner!
Have you ever wondered how much cauliflower rice you end up with when you grate the whole vegetable? I can answer that, It's a ton and perfect for making this salad stretch over a few meals.
I've been seeing cauliflower rice more often lately, even frozen bags of it in Trader Joe's. But it's so scarily easy to make I think you should try it this way.
The hardest part is probably trying to trim out the core of the cauliflower. I came to this conclusion because of almost starting this week with nine fingers and using all of my kids Incredible Hulk Band-Aids.
I can't remember the last time I actually used a skin tone Band-Aid, my choice is either super heroes or princess's. Be careful guys, kitchen knives are for reals.
So here I am, me and my full set of digits bringing you a tasty super low carb salad to push you over hump day, and keep you on course for the weekend. If you've never tasted cauliflower rice it's sort of genius and way less of a major headache to cook than real rice.
Let's talk about the garbanzo beans for a second. I threw them in a pan with some olive oil and cooked them just until the skin starts to blister, this is probably nothing new in the world of garbanzos but a first for me.
Sprinkled with a little sea salt, they had a tiny crunch to them but still soft in the middle. Fresh herbs and a balsamic olive oil dressing.
Toss them together with the cauliflower rice and lay down some grilled chicken. You can feel good about chowing down a large bowl of this for dinner, seriously!
How to prepare your cauliflower rice.
Almost every recipe will tell you to break the cauliflower down using a food processor. I prefer to hand grate it instead, the texture is chunkier and has more of a rice feel to it.
I like chunky! Add some spices and a splash of olive oil and roast it in the oven. It won't get dark and toasty like regular roasted veggies but It does seem to keep it fluffier.
You can use a food processor to save time but be prepared to add the cauliflower in stages. If you add it all at once it tends to be too much to break down evenly.
Benefits to eating cauliflower regularly.
Cauliflower is packed with fiber and many other nutrients. It's also calorie friendly if you're on any kind of weight management, with only 25 calories per cup it's am amazing substitute for rice.
You might have seen cauliflower pizza crusts appearing in more and more grocery stores and personally I think they easy amazing, I especially like the Trader Joe's crusts. Cauliflower is beginning to be a great replacement for all sorts of other recipes such as Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes.
How long will my rice last for?
Store it in a sealed container in the fridge and it should last 4-5 days. This means you can meal prep on a weekend and incorporate cauliflower rice in weeknight dinners or easy lunches all week.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, a sealed zip lock bag with the date written on it should work fine for at least a month. This is perfect for just grabbing on a busy night and a few minutes in the microwave will give you a healthy side dish!
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