Swapping rice for cauliflower can give you more flavor and healthier toppings. Try this healthy Mexican-inspired recipe from Kristin Donnelly, author of The Modern Potluck. You can put it together in under 30 minutes – how cool is that?
Ingredients:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup diced white or red onion
- 1 large jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Hass avocados
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound cauliflower rice (about 4 cups)*
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of dried oregano
- 2 14-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
- 1 small romaine lettuce heart or 2 cups shredded cabbage, thinly sliced crosswise
- Sour cream and hot sauce for serving (optional)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with half each of the onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the lime juice. This is your pico de gallo. Season with salt and pepper.
- In another small bowl, mash the avocados with a fork. Fold in the remaining onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. This is your guacamole. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower rice and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 8 minutes. Divide the cauliflower rice among 4 bowls and wipe out the saucepan.
- In the same saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and 2 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the beans are hot, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To Serve: Divide the beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and lettuce among the bowls. Top with sour cream and hot sauce as desired.
*To make your own cauliflower rice, start with one 1 ½ to 2 pounds cauliflower. Remove the leaves and core and chop the cauliflower into florets. In a food processor, pulse until the cauliflower is finely chopped and resembles rice.
Kristin Donnelly, The Modern Potluck, Futhermore newsletter 3/2017