This post has been a long time coming.
I should have posted it months and months ago but I really wanted to take photos of the process of making cauliflower “rice” and not just a dish with it in it.
Finally, last week, after a discussion on my Facebook page about serving Beef Bibimbap over brown rice or cauliflower rice (recipe coming later this week!), someone mentioned making cauliflower rice in big batches and freezing it.
Why hadn’t I thought to do that before? I freeze everything else right? Such a great idea so thank you!
I picked up a bunch of organic cauliflower at Trader Joe’s for a great price and set up to stock my freezer and (finally) take some in process photos.
OK, so let’s talk about cauliflower “rice”. Cauliflower rice has been making it’s way around the food blogging circuit for a long time now and for good reason.
It’s zero Weight Watchers Points Plus, Low-Carb, Slow Carb, South Beach diet friendly, Paleo, Primal and just a good way to get more vegetables into your diet.
The real deal is that you are not ever going to trick yourself into thinking you are eating rice. Maybe if you spice it up like crazy and close your eyes, you could convince yourself you are eating something similar to Uncle Ben’s Boil in a Bag White Rice? Maybe.
But the point is not to trick you, it’s to make a different choice sometimes.
To eat more vegetables and to have fun with ingredients.
To add volume without calories.
To bulk up dense dishes without adding carbs.
To mix things up and keep trying something different because you never know, you might love it!
Ginger Coconut Cauliflower Rice and HOW TO MAKE CAULI RICE IN THE OVEN
NOTES:
- I like to use cauliflower rice under really spicy food and I prefer it under drier foods as a lot of sauce tends to water-log the rice.
- Don’t try to sub cauliflower rice for regular rice in casseroles or in any dish where the rice is there to absorb liquid.
- I do not recommend the microwave cooking method as the “rice” retains moisture. I prefer the rice a bit dryer and more “rice” like so I use a non-stick frying pan or the oven method detailed below in the recipe.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
- 1 or more head(s) of organic cauliflower
- food processor or hand-held grater
- sandwich size freezer bags
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Grab cauliflower and make sure there are no brown or black spots on it. If so, remove with a paring knife.
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Rip the leaves off of the bottom.
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Cut the cauliflower in half and cut the florets off from core until you are left with just the core.
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Discard the core and break up the florets into somewhat evenly sized pieces.
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Place florets in bowl of food processor in batches. Process until evenly chopped but not completely pulverized.
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Remove rice to a large bowl and continue processing florets in batches until all florets are "riced". Alternately, you could use a hand grater but I imagine it would take quite a bit of time. Grab a measuring cup (I like to freeze 2 cup portions) and some sandwich sized bags (preferably freezer bags even though I took a picture of the non-freezer ones.)
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Once you fill your baggies, press the cauliflower flat to be sure to remove the excess air and make storing in the freezer easier.
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If preparing the cauliflower rice from frozen, I suggest removing from the freezer and leaving on the counter to soften and defrost a bit while you cook whatever you are planning on serving it with.
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Preheat oven to 425F. Spread cauliflower rice out on one or more baking sheets (depending on how much you have) into a single layer. Don't make yourself crazy about the single layer thing, you just don't want to crowd the pan or it will steam and remain moist. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping the "rice" at least 1x. Remove, serve and Enjoy!
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Heat a small amount of olive oil or coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat and add cauliflower rice.
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I like to "dry fry" it to remove as much of the moisture as possible. Make sure to season with salt, pepper and another complimentary spice if possible. Enjoy!
Servings per cauliflower depend on size
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Hey i had a question, If I wanted to make this from packed frozen cauliflowers, would you recommend drying them before throwing them into the food processer or just cook them longer to remove the water after the food processer step?
Hi Kira, For this recipe, I would only recommend using FRESH cauliflower. If you defrost and / or cook frozen cauliflower, it will be water-logged and it won’t chop into “rice”.
GREAT INFO. JUST WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. LOVE IT.
Perfect!!
I found cauliflower rice on a supermarket frozen from Italy, and I made a calizoto (rizotto) and it was delicious!!
Wow – that sounds yummy!
I wonder if putting it in the dehydrator would do the trick.
Heating a huge oven to cook one cookie sheet of cauliflower is a waste of electricity and money. I’d have to cook no less that 6 cookie sheets worth of the cauliflower in my over and it still would be a huge waste of money and electricity.
So far I’m not impressed as it is just a pile of mush.
Do it in a pan on the stove. Stop complaining.
I like your attitude.
I use a toaster oven for as much as I can. I only use my big oven if I have to use a really big pan. I roast meat, bake lies, and bread in my toaster oven. I love it!
I’m a little confused. Do you dry fry the cauli rice before you freeze it or do you freeze it raw?
Hi Carol, I freeze it raw. It cooks from frozen in just minutes. Good luck 🙂
You can’t just freeze raw vegetables. You need to boil raw vegetables in order to kill the enzymes that control ripening. Boiling for a few minutes kills the enzymes and stops the ripening process. Then put in ice bath and freeze
That is one way to do it but not that only way. You can absolutley freeze raw vegetables. They just don’t last as long in the freezer. Here is one (of many) articles that explains…
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/freezing/freezing-vegetables-zebz1309zstp
Thank You a simple easy way to rice cauliflower and a very unique tasty recipe.
Very tasty, but my cauliflower rice stuck to my cookie sheet.
parchment might work well for the cauliflower rice oven method
Yep! You read my mind 🙂
That sucks Tracey! Next time, line with parchment paper. I’ve never had that happen. Is your cookie sheet old or really worn?
I am curious about using cauliflower rice in baked casseroles. Do you think it would work if I bake the casserole without the rice it calls for and the liquid needed to cook that rice, then shortly before it is done, mix in my dry fried cauliflower rice?
Hi Sara! Well, the cauliflower rice will not absorb any liquid, if anything, it will give off some so make sure you don’t use the same amount of liquid called for (for regular rice). Then, I would add it in towards the end!
Thanks! That’s what I was thinking.
I recently made a healthy version of brocolli rice cheese casserole. Could I have sub 1/2 of the rice in the recipe for the cauliflower rice? It called for minute rice and you cooked the brocolli with the rice so I would imagine I could make 1/2 the rice and dry fry the cauliflower rice then add it to the recipe. Do you think that would work or would it be too wet?
You know Janice, I have to be honest and tell you that I am not a fan of cauli rice in casseroles. It’s just too watery and doesn’t aborb liquid like rice does.
I didn’t know if you ever used cauliflower and mash them up just like mased potatoes. My Grandma and my Mom had taught me that when I became a dibetic. You make them just like you would the mashed potatoes. Take the cauliflower off the heat when you can cut through it with no problem.
I am diabetic too. and found this to be a great way to stretch my allowable carbs. I add a smidge less water to my rice and when it is almost done I cut it with equal amounts of riced cauliflower. very tasty. And my meat and potatoes husband approves. Works for mashed potatoes too and even put flowerets in mac and cheese half and half to to indulge. still husband approved.
Add fresh grated coconut to it – lovely !!!
Yum!!! Such a great idea Dave 🙂