Monday Munchies...

What a weekend and beginning of the week it has been! These next few weeks' have a lot on the docket! 

We enjoyed the circus with my brother and my almost sister-in-law last night.  

We didn't realize the show was two hours, plus an intermission-an hour in, the adults and Hannah were ready to go! The boys, not so much...I opted to push/entertain Hannah in the hallway for the remaining hour, and thankfully she allowed me to sneak a peak at the trapeze artists, always a fave! 

 Mondays are always a fresh start to a new week, and I'm sure many of you tell yourself you're going to dial in the diet this week.  So, this week I bring you a diet friendly Monday Munchies.  

I had started hearing about cauliflower rice from some blogs, but I never really thought about what that actually meant because I knew most likely the frozen pre-made option they would talk about, most likely wasn't kosher.  I found out last week I was right, but also decided that maybe it was worthwhile looking into how to make it, and it seems relatively easy.  Honestly, anything that involves the food processor, I don't  consider easy.  Rice isn't something that was commonly served in our house, so I'm not needing to find a replacement for it, but it is interesting to see all the different metamorphosis cauliflower can go through to become a classic staple.  

There's faux potato kugel, made out of cauliflower 

There's cauliflower crust for pizza 

Cauliflower lasagna 

  And most recently...cauliflower rice

 

I'm going to give you the basic recipe, but there are so many variations, such as: Spanish cauliflower rice, cilantro lime, Hawaiian fried rice, and the list goes on! The cauliflower list is endless! Cauliflower is a cheap vegetable to buy, it lasts well, and it's not too hard to prep.  

Cauliflower Rice 

1 head cauliflower, any size
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, optional
Salt, optional

Cut the cauliflower into large florets, and then place in the food processor. 

Process until the texture is crumble-like or couscous like.  Make sure the large florets that don't get processed originally are separated out so they can be processed again later, otherwise, the cauliflower will become over-processed and the desired texture won't be reached,  

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or butter in a large skillet and stir in the couscous and sprinkle with a salt. Cover the skillet and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the couscous reaches your desired tenderness.

Of course cauliflower rice is also awesome because it can be stored in the freezer for up to three months! Isn't batch cooking great?  I also love eating food that allows me to eat more-which is why cauliflower is a dieter's dream come true, and these recipes sure don't look like a diet food, I just might have to try all the cauliflower!