I recently discovered riced cauliflower and it has opened up a whole new cauliflower world for me!

Used as a base for a main dish, riced cauliflower is very versatile!  Because the best way to preserve its nutrients when cooking cauliflower is to gently sauté it on the stovetop – I use riced cauliflower straight from the freezer to the stovetop!

Add green peppers or whatever vegetables you have on hand or chicken or beans, etc.  And, switching up the spices can change the whole taste of the creation!  Use my basic recipe below and change it up to suit your own taste.

I think if you try riced cauliflower for a meal one night, you will want to stock up on some bags for your freezer.  I buy plenty at Trader Joes – they are inexpensive and so handy!  I use the entire bag when I make a dinner and have a little left over for lunch the next day.

Why am I so excited about adding more cauliflower to my diet?  After doing some research on eye health, I found diets richer in sulforaphane form a more preventative long-term approach to reducing macular degeneration and help protect eyesight.  And, cruciferous vegetables – like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage – are a good source of sulforaphane.  Since I have been doing whatever I can to find natural ways to encourage good eye health, I am stepping up my cruciferous vegetable intake!

(The only downside of these vegetables are for those that need to limit purines in their diet since they do contain purines – if this pertains to you, keep your intake to a modest level!)

Recipe:  Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a pan.  Add 1 small finely chopped onion, 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 finely chopped jalapeno.  Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent.  Add 2 finely chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon paprika and a pinch of salt.  Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes are softened.  Add a 12-ounce package of frozen riced cauliflower to the pan and mix well.  (I hit the package on my countertop a couple of times to break up any frozen clumps.)  Stir fry for about 5 minutes – just until hot – not mushy.  Garnish with cilantro, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime!  (The dish pictured here definitely needed a little chopped cilantro on top to add more freshness!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend…here in Connecticut, we are preparing for our first snowstorm of the winter!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie