It’s cauliflower season! Are you scratching your head wondering why I could possibly be so excited about cauliflower, a generally overlooked and underappreciated vegetable? Well, it’s also Breast Cancer awareness month and it seems only fitting to highlight this veg for both of these reasons. Cauliflower contains two key nutrients {indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane} that help fight against cancer and heart disease by cleaning out the system of toxins that would normally damage cells and by keeping estrogen levels low, which is known to foster tumor growth. If that doesn’t make you think of cauliflower as a new friend, how about the fact that three florets of cauliflower a day will provide you with 67% of your daily vitamin C requirement — keep that in mind as cold season fast approaches.
In my opinion cauliflower by itself doesn’t have any super flavors to write home about, but given how nutritious and substantial these little guys are, it’s a great base to mix with other fantastic flavors and create a healthy and tasty side or main dish that is worth getting excited about. Here’s a recipe from Everyday Paleo that I made the other night. I must admit, I never would have thought about combining with coconut, but the flavor was a fantastic complement and coconut has a great nutrient profile of its own that makes this a noteworthy alternative for diabetics or for those who can’t eat gluten.
Savory Cauliflower “Fried Rice”
Prep Time: 5 mins. | Cook Time: 10 mins.
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side
1 head organic cauliflower, steamed
1/2 red onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS fresh basil, diced
1 egg
2 TBS coconut flour
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste
3-4 TBS coconut oil
Bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Remove thick stem and core from cauliflower and discard. Using a knife, cut cauliflower into smaller florets. Add to boiling water and cover, cooking for approximately 2-3 minutes or until knife tender. In a large mixing bowl, add the minced onions, garlic, and basil. Place the steamed cauliflower in the bowl as well and add the egg, coconut flour, salt, and pepper. Using a potato masher or metal whisk, mash the cauliflower down to the consistency of rice. Mix all the ingredients well. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the cauliflower rice and saute for 7-10 minutes or until the “rice” starts to crisp up a little and the onions are tender. Remove the rice and keep warm in the oven. Note: This is better, the longer it sits, so preparing ahead of time and warming in the oven is a good thing!
All the Goods
Add the Steamed Cauliflower to the Rest of Ingredients
Mash with Ricer or Whisk Until "Rice" Size
"Fry" it up and Enjoy
Put More on My Plate:
Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Breadcrumbs
Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
Giada’s Sweet & Sour Pork Chops
Whole-Grain Mustard & Rosemary Pork Chops
8.ate@eight 
Don’t forget Grandma’s recipe for fried cauliflower.
Dip florets in egg batter with salt and pepper,
Fry in oil until tender. Drain on paper towel and salt to taste.
Yummy but maybe not so healthy.
I will have to try this, I just got 4 of the best looking cauliflowers from the farmers market this past weekend, one of my faves!
Trish,
I forgot to say that once you dip the florets in the egg batter you then have to roll them in bread crumbs, then fry them in oil. Dah!!!
I have to agree with you, it’s cauliflower season. Two of mu friends made cauliflower dishes over the weekend, I did too and tomorrow I’m planning a cauliflower soup
Bring that cauliflower on
I made this last night and it was very easy and delicious. One whole head of cauliflower made a dinner for two and lunch today. So good…Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you liked it! Stay tuned for another great one. I’m cauliflower obsessed this week.