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A few years ago my daughter bought me a day of cooking lessons at the local culinary college for my birthday. Okay, I bought them and then openly thanked my daughter for the present she gave me. Anyway, the theme was Tex-Mex dishes. It was a fabulous experience. Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the handout of recipes that we were given, but I do remember one that I made often before I went paleo. It was Mexican rice. It used to be a staple before I gave up grains a few years back. I decided to see if I could make cauliflower rice using those same flavors. I must say, I totally nailed it. Even the picky vegetarian is happy with this recipe.
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, stems removed
1 medium onion, diced, about 1-2 cups
1 sweet bell pepper (red, yellow or orange), diced, about 1 cup
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced, about 1 cup
1 jalapeno, diced, optional for extra heat
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
¼ cup olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
¼ cup water, set aside in case you need it
Directions
Place the cauliflower into a food processor and pulse for 1 second. Count 1-mississippi. Do this about 10 to 15 times more until the cauliflower resembles coarse crumbs or rice like pieces. Do not turn on the food processor full blast. You will end up with pureed cauliflower. Just pulse it. Do this in batches if needed. Set the cauliflower aside until ready to add it to the pan. You should have about 4-6 cups of cauliflower shreds.
Add the olive oil to a deep skillet heated to medium. Add the onions and the peppers. Salt and pepper the veggies and allow them to soften for a few minutes.
Add the spices and the garlic. Cook for about a minute until the spices are fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables.
Add the cauliflower and mix until the vegetables and tomato paste are well incorporated into the cauliflower. Add some more salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the cauliflower for a few minutes, making sure to scrape up any fond that has developed on the bottom of the pan.
Add about a tablespoon of water to the pan. Stir it in and put the lid on the pan. Check the pan and give it a stir about every 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower is as tender as you like it. Add more liquid, a tablespoon at a time, if needed. Adjust seasonings to taste.
