Cauliflower is a great food that’s packed with nutrition. It’s a member of the cruciferous family, a food group that should be consumed daily. One cup of raw cauliflower provides 86% of your daily needs of Vitamin C , 21% Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin), and 15% Folate, a nutrient linked to brain and neurological function and formation for developing brains. This dish is very light, and makes the perfect side, salad, or sweet potato topper. You can add in additional beans like chickpeas to boost the protein, fiber, potassium, and magnesium in this dish. It’s perfect cold or warm. One caveat, the peas, broccoli, and greens dull if you don’t eat them right away. Be sure to very lightly cook the greens and blanch the broccoli, to maximize nutrition, and add the peas in just thawed at the end (no cooking!). This dish comes together quickly.
Serve on top of a massaged kale salad, sweet potato, and/or alongside a soup, like this Butternut Squash Soup, shown below.
Ingredients for Pilaf base (modify based on what’s in season):
- 2 cups of red onions-about 1 large (could use regular onions too)
- 3 cups of mushrooms, sliced (omit if you’re not a fan of course)
- 7 cups of shredded cauliflower (this is about half of a head of cauliflower-use the left overs to roast up for salads!)
- 2 tbsp, about 3 garlic cloves, minced
- several tbsp of water/vegetable broth
- 3/4-1 tsp salt
- 1 large or 2 small bay leaves, remove before eating
- fresh pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Shred the cauliflower in a food processor by placing florets in and hitting pulse until finely shredded (but not mush)
- Heat a large pan, like a wok. Add onions to along with a little broth/water to help sauté (not too much, as you want the onions to caramelize slightly, about 2 tbsp).
- Sauté onions until translucent, then add mushrooms, and garlic
- Add in cauliflower and bay leaf.
- Sauté until cauliflower softens, adding in broth/water as needed to prevent sticking, but just enough to soften the rice without getting too watery
- Add salt/pepper to taste
Spring Rice Ingredients (remaining ingredients added quickly, to prevent over cooking):
- Cauliflower rice base (above)
- 1 cup diced bell pepper, we used red and yellow
- 3/4 tsp dried dill weed
- 2 cup of defrosted peas, or fresh snap peas
- 1 1/2 lemons, juiced, about 4 tbsp
- 4 cups of chopped greens (it can be any kind, I used swiss chard, but have used kale, spinach, and collards)
- 1 cup blanched broccoli, chopped (to blanch, boil water, and drop florets into water for 1 minute, until bright green)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh dill (or more to taste)
- Additional salt/pepper as desired
- Serving: freshly chopped scallions, nuts for serving: pistachios, slivered almonds, or pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- After making the cauliflower rice pilaf, add in peppers and dried dill, and sauté until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add greens and lemon juice, with a few tbsp of water (if needed) to allow greens to wilt.
- When finished, add broccoli, parsley, peas, and fresh dill. Season with salt/pepper if needed.
- Serve topped with scallions, and/or slivered almonds, pistachios (what we used), toasted pine nuts, or pumpkin seeds & enjoy! If desired, add in some chickpeas for additional protein. Great on top of a salad, sweet potato, or as a side dish.
- For a different take on this base, try my Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl
Nutritional Benefits:
- Low in calories and no refined carbohydrates-great for those on a gluten free diet and diabetic friendly
- No added oils or fats, cholesterol free-great for heart health
- Great source of plant-based protein from peas and greens, important for repairing & rebuilding tissues
- High in anti-oxidants (vitmain C)
- High in Fiber-great for regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as improving digestive health
- High in Calcium
- High In Vitamin C-from cauliflower and peppers, great antioxidant that boosts immunity and decreases inflammation in the body
- Good source of Vitamin A, important for blood pressure regulation, eye, hair, skin, nail, and dental health
- Good source of Calcium from dark greens/broccoli-plant-based sources are better absorbed by the body, important for bone and dental health/strength
Nutritional Information for 1 cup of raw cauliflower:
Vitamin C-86% of your daily needs (DN)
Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin)
Folate-15% (linked to brain and neurological function and formation for developing brains)
Fiber-2g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 27
- 2 cups of red onions-about 1 large (could use regular onions too)
- 3 cups of mushrooms, sliced (omit if you're not a fan of course)
- 7 cups of shredded cauliflower (this is about half of a head of cauliflower-use the left overs to roast up for salads!)
- 2 tbsp, about 3 garlic cloves, minced
- several tbsp of water/vegetable broth
- ¾-1 tsp salt
- 1 large or 2 small bay leaves, remove before eating
- fresh pepper to taste
- 1 cup diced bell pepper, we used red and yellow
- ¾ tsp dried dill weed
- 2 cups of defrosted peas, or fresh snap peas
- 2 lemons, juiced, about 4 tbsp
- 4 cups of chopped greens (it can be any kind, I used swiss chard, but have used kale, spinach, and collards)
- 2 cup blanched broccoli, chopped (to blanch, boil water, and drop florets into water for 1 minute, until bright green)
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh dill (or more to taste)
- Additional salt/pepper as desired
- Serving: freshly chopped scallions, nuts for serving: pistachios, slivered almonds, or pumpkin seeds
- Shred the cauliflower in a food processor by placing florets in and hitting pulse until finely shredded (but not mush)
- Heat a large pan, like a wok. Add onions to along with a little broth/water to help sauté (not too much, as you want the onions to caramelize slightly, about 2 tbsp).
- Sauté onions until translucent, then add mushrooms, and garlic
- Add in cauliflower and bay leaf.
- Sauté until cauliflower softens, adding in broth/water as needed to prevent sticking, but just enough to soften the rice without getting too watery
- Add salt/pepper to taste
- Spring Rice Ingredients (remaining ingredients added quickly, to prevent over cooking):
- After making the cauliflower rice pilaf, add in peppers and dried dill, and sauté until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add greens and lemon juice, with a few tbsp of water (if needed) to allow greens to wilt.
- When finished, add broccoli, parsley, peas, and fresh dill. Season with salt/pepper if needed.
- Serve topped with scallions, and/or slivered almonds, pistachios (what we used), toasted pine nuts, or pumpkin seeds & enjoy! If desired, add in some chickpeas for additional protein. Great on top of a salad, sweet potato, or as a side dish.
- For a different take on this base, try my Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl
