Cauliflower Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms and Peas

Cauliflower Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms and Peas

It’s late January and our local farmers markets are at their peak. Today there was a band playing songs from the seventies and a couple of food trucks. The air was brisk, in the high 50’s and everyone was bundled up with hats and mittens. Seems us desert dwellers aren’t used to the cooler weather. There were many varieties of locally-grown citrus and veggies. The first to catch my eye was the cauliflower as there were 3 different kinds; cheddar, purple and regular. Cauliflower wasn’t on my list this week but you know how it goes, you buy what looks the best so this is how I came to make cauliflower rice.

Cheddar Cauliflower

Purple Cauliflower

White Cauliflower

The thing about cauliflower rice is that you know it’s cauliflower. Although it’s not riddled with calories; sometimes it can be a little bland. Adding veggies and herbs can bring lots of color and flavor. The first time I made and posted a recipe about cauliflower rice was almost three years ago. When I look back on that post the pictures were dark and the directions were limited, what was I thinking, lol? Anyway, I thought I would update that recipe here and add a different spin.

In this 2017 version I squeezed the moisture out of the “rice” and used olive oil instead of coconut oil. Squeezing the water out made the “rice” more crumbly and able to soak up more of the flavors that I was adding. The end result was delicious and a little crunchy. A different texture can change everything. From a distance this dish looks like any other ordinary rice dish with veggies, but watch out; even though you can tell it’s not exactly rice……it’s delicious!

yield: 4 to 5Author: Cheriprint recipe

Cauliflower Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms and Peas

prep time: 25 MINScook time: 6 MINStotal time: 31 mins

Cauliflower Rice with Shiitake Mushrooms and Peas is flavorful and delicious, a great dish and a wonderful way to cut back on the calories.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ small red onion, diced
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced thinly
• ½ cup green peas ( I used frozen)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preparing the “rice” is really easy. You can use a hand held box grater or a food processor. The food processor will give you the best results. First remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower, then cut into florets and remove most of the thick core. Blitz half of the cauliflower at a time, otherwise you might gum up the “rice”. Pulse until the cauliflower resembles rice, it’s okay if there are a few lumps.
2. Next put cauliflower into the middle of a clean dish towel. Roll it up and then squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can. Shake into a bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet add the olive oil, then the red onions and mushrooms, cook until tender. Add the wine and sauté until evaporated. Then add the chicken broth and cauliflower. Cook until just tender about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the green onions and peas. Cook for another minute or so until peas are warmed through. Ready to serve.

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