Cauliflower is quickly becoming one of our favorite cruciferous veggies—it’s got plenty of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and folate—plus it’s an unlimited non-starchy vegetable on the Nutrisystem plan.
We love that it’s less dense than potatoes or wheat flour, which leaves us feeling light and energized after eating. Cauliflower makes a brilliant stand-in for potatoes in many classic dishes (like our Mashed Cauliflower).
Here are five clever ways to use cauliflower—in dishes you might not expect it!
1. Cauliflower Rice
This one is so simple: Hand grate or pulse raw cauliflower florets in the food processor until it resembles rice. Steam, pan sauté or bake until cooked to a desired doneness.
Try this in lettuce wraps! Fill lettuce cups with a half cup of cauliflower rice and two ounces of diced grilled chicken. Finish with a drizzle of low-sodium soy sauce, sriracha hot sauce and chopped green onions. (Count this dish as one PowerFuel and one Vegetable on the Nutrisystem plan.)
Watch as Nutrisystem’s own good-for-you guru prepares her favorite cauliflower rice recipe:
2. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Oh yes—it’s true! With two pounds of cauliflower florets, prepare “rice” above, boil until soft and strain through a cheesecloth (or, if you don’t have one on hand, a clean dishtowel) until nice and dry. Mix with one beaten egg, a third cup of soft goat cheese, one teaspoon of dried basil, one teaspoon of dried oregano and a pinch of salt. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press until the “batter” is about a quarter-inch thick. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flip, then bake for an additional 10 minutes. (Count a quarter of the recipe as half of a PowerFuel and one Vegetable on the Nutrisystem plan.)
Top with your favorite low-sodium pizza sauce and veggies, plus a quarter cup of Parmesan (one PowerFuel) and bake until the veggies are cooked and the cheese is melted.
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3. Cauliflower Chowder
Cauliflower steps in for potatoes in this dish—and it’s so delicious, you’d never know! Sauté half of a diced onion, one diced carrot, one diced celery stalk and one clove minced garlic in four teaspoons of olive oil, for three to four minutes. Stir in a half head of rough chopped cauliflower and one bay leaf, then cook another three to four minutes. Whisk in two tablespoons of all-purpose flour until lightly browned. Gradually whisk in two cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and a half cup of low-fat milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley or green onions to serve. Makes two servings. One serving counts as a quarter of a PowerFuel, two Vegetables and three Extras on the Nutrisystem plan.
4. Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
Cauliflower takes the place of bulgur wheat in this classic Middle Eastern dish. Toss together three cups of raw or lightly steamed and cooled cauliflower “rice”, two cups diced tomatoes, one cup diced cucumber, one minced shallot, one cup rough chopped parsley, one cup rough chopped mint, juice of two lemons, two tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and serve—so simple! Makes six servings. One serving counts as one-and-a-half Vegetables and one Extra on the Nutrisystem plan
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5. Cauliflower Tots
Get ready to snack! Mix three packed cups of raw cauliflower “rice”, a quarter cup diced onion, one beaten egg, a quarter cup low-fat Parmesan cheese, a quarter cup of breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Use one to two tablespoons at a time of the mixture to form “tots,” then bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Flip and bake another 15 minutes or until crisp. Makes two servings. One serving counts as one PowerFuel, half a SmartCarb and two Vegetables on the Nutrisystem plan.
We hope you enjoy the cauliflower craze as much as we do. Let us know what your favorite recipes are!
The post 5 Delicious Cauliflower Recipes appeared first on The Leaf.