Earlier this week, I saw several posts across social media about “riced” cauliflower being available at Trader Joe’s.

Since I’ve been laboring over making my own, the thought of this as a convenience food intrigued me, and I just had to check it out for myself!

If you’re not already familiar with “riced” cauliflower, preparing it as a rice substitute is actually fairly simple: wash the cauliflower, remove the leaves and core (compost please), place the florets in the food processor and chop very fine.

Saute with your favorite herbs and voila:  a gorgeous bowl of “rice,” without the carbs or grain proteins (so, it’s naturally gluten free, grain free, soy free, dairy free, and Paleo).

Even though it’s a fairly easy preparation process, it can be rather messy and sticky with bits of cauliflower all over the cutting board, matted against the sides of your food processor, and stuck to the spatula.  On top of all of that, to be completely honest, I can’t stand the smell of it!

SIDE NOTE:  Although I’m not entirely sure why the smell bothers me, I have also never cared for the taste of most cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, and cauliflower to name a few).  I’ve often wondered if this is my body’s way of telling me to steer clear, since cruciferous vegetables can cause issues for those with thyroid conditions (see this discussion with Chris Kresser) and potentially aggravate my Hashimoto’s (see my full health story here).

So, even though I personally eat this dish occasionally (rather than as a mainstay), it has fast become a favorite with my meal clients. And, since I’m often crunched for time, I could do without having to clean up the sticky mess!  That same mess has (at times) kept me from pursuing some yummy dishes. It really is worth the bit of work when I make it, since the texture of cauli-rice is wonderful when you’re trying to replace real rice in a low carb, Paleo, or “GGF” dietary lifestyle.

Well, thanks to Trader Joe’s, now we don’t have to let the mess stop us!  This convenient option is now available with the messy work already done, plus the cauliflower is organic, yet still available for a great price!  Just $1.99 per 12 ounce package.

Some ideas for your riced cauliflower: 

• Make vegetable fried “rice” using fresh vegetables, eggs, and coconut aminos
• Combine with oregano and thyme as a side dish with roasted pork
• Use the spices from my teriyaki beef jerky recipe for a side dish with grilled steak
• Make into cauliflower “mash” – I’ve made them into mashed “potatoes” and someone in my house still hasn’t found out there was anything BUT potatoes in them! 🙂

A huge shout-out of thanks to Trader Joe’s for this awesome new convenience; I hope this is a sign of more good things to come!

-Jen of The GGF Gourmet