Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > Kitchen: Low-Carb Recipes > Kitchen Talk
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Mark Forums Read Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 13:00
ElleH ElleH is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 10,352
 
Plan: PP/Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 178/137/137 Female 5'6"
BF:28%
Progress: 100%
Location: Northern Virginia
Default Cauliflower Rice?

Ok, Kitchen Friends.

I'm ready to talk about cauliflower rice.

I've never tried it...it just seemed like so much *trouble.*

But as I have decided to take a break from trying to lose weight, I started thinking about what I miss the most as a sort of "basic food." The thing that popped into my head was, of course, RICE.

So tell me what you know about cauliflower rice:

-Is it easy to make? Once you pulse it (or do you grate it?) do you steam it, boil it or stir-fry it? I think I did try grating it once, and was not happy with the outcome. Not enough "body." I would rather try to get pellets as from pulsing in a FP. Will that work?

-Can you grind it up, then freeze it uncooked? Will the freezing ruin the texture? (You know how I am about frozen food! ) I'm thinking that the nice, firm texture of fresh cauliflower would help the outcome of the final product? (I cook rice al dente, every grain falls apart, and is firm to the bite.)

-How does it taste? I like cauliflower. I really love pureed cauliflower and love it in place of mashed potatoes anytime I make gravy. So that works for me, even though it doesn't taste like potatoes, b/c I already like cauliflower. If I like the puree, do you think I'll like the "rice?"

-Anything you can tell me about it will be helpful!

Thanks for your help. This is one more step toward trying to find things that will help make this a permanent WOL for me.
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 13:07
Needlehole
Guest
Posts: n/a
 
Plan:
Stats: //
BF:
Progress:
Default

I like to just chop by hand to a semi fine consistency, sauté with butter or microwave it w/o water, and add a bit of salt. Its a lot of work chopping it up, so sometimes I use my cheese grater if I'm pressed for time. Tastes pretty good. I have yet to freeze any.
Reply With Quote
  #3   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 13:44
tea cup's Avatar
tea cup tea cup is offline
New Member
Posts: 5
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 142/135/125 Female 5'2"
BF:
Progress: 41%
Location: Arizona
Default

Cauliflower fried rice is fantastic. I've made it over and over. I grate the cauliflower in a food processer. Then nuke it for 10 minutes with a T of water. Check it after 7 minutes, you don't want it to turn to mush. Then I stir fry whatever I have in the fridge green onions, peppers, bean sprouts, anything really. I don't bother with adding the eggs or meat. I add sesame oil, ginger, soysauce. Then I drain the cauliflower and add it to the fried veg. Yummy! My friend makes it and adds so much veg and meat that her husband hasn't figured out its not rice!!tea cup
Reply With Quote
  #4   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 13:51
ElleH ElleH is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 10,352
 
Plan: PP/Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 178/137/137 Female 5'6"
BF:28%
Progress: 100%
Location: Northern Virginia
Default

I like the idea of the seasoned, fried "rice!"

I need to be able to just eat it plain, with a touch butter only, as a side dish to certain entrees where I would serve rice. Maybe with gravy. I suppose then it will just taste like buttered, grated cauliflower...but I'm desperate at this point.

Ilooked through Linda's recipes all and the ones involving the rice said DO NOT FREEZE. It meant after cooking, but I still wonder about raw?
Reply With Quote
  #5   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 14:31
SereneOne's Avatar
SereneOne SereneOne is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 293
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 195/177.8/155 Female 55 inches
BF:
Progress: 43%
Location: Northern Virginia
Default

I make cauliflower rice at least once a week. It's really easy. I make it like tea cup does. Run it through the grater blade on my food processor, then put it in a microwave safe dish with 1-2 tablespoons of water (depending on the size of the head), cover, and nuke for about 8 minutes. Check, repeat nuking if necessary.

Eating it plain, with just butter, and it does have more of a...leafy flavor than rice, but it's good. It's perfect for dishes that have any kind of sauce that you want to soak up.
Reply With Quote
  #6   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 15:50
Samantha22's Avatar
Samantha22 Samantha22 is offline
7 yrs and counting!
Posts: 8,623
 
Plan: Vegan/Crossfit
Stats: 285/212/199 Female 5'7
BF:33.4%
Progress: 85%
Location: Seattle, WA
Default

I grate mine with the coarse side of my grater...which is just a metal plate kinda thing...then i stirfry it....it always works out pretty well for me....i'll see if i can find the link in my journal to my recipe...
Reply With Quote
  #7   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 18:58
Rosebud's Avatar
Rosebud Rosebud is offline
Forum Moderator
Posts: 23,881
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 235/135/135 Female 5'4
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Default

I eat cauliflower "rice" regularly. I grate it in the food processor, then quickly stir fry it with a splash of oil. Very quick and easy.

Roz
Reply With Quote
  #8   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 19:36
GlendaRC's Avatar
GlendaRC GlendaRC is offline
Posts: 8,787
 
Plan: Atkins maintenance
Stats: 170/120/130 Female 65 inches & shrinking
BF:
Progress: 125%
Location: Victoria, BC Canada
Default

Elle, if you're thinking of it replacing steamed rice, I don't think so! Having said that, if you're moving into maintenance for awhile, why not indulge in a measured serving of steamed rice (maybe brown, with the addition of some wild rice?). It's hard to beat a good risotto or pilaf when that's what you're in the mood for, and in maintenance you can have a little once in awhile. I allow myself a half-order of sushi once every couple of weeks - I'm not losing, but I'm not gaining either!

As long as it doesn't trigger cravings, Dr. A did approve occasional rice - even back in the first version (if I remember correctly - I haven't read it for awhile!)

Glenda
Reply With Quote
  #9   ^
Old Fri, Jan-18-08, 20:12
Kisal's Avatar
Kisal Kisal is offline
Never Give Up!
Posts: 14,482
 
Plan: It's anybody's guess!
Stats: 350/250/160 Female 70 inches
BF:
Progress: 53%
Location: Oregon
Default

I agree with glendarc! Cauli-rice is good enough while a person is in OWL, but I think you'd be far more satisfied with a small portion of a mixture of brown rice and wild rice. I actually eat wild rice on occasion, although rarely, even though I'm nowhere near goal.

I tried freezing uncooked cauli-rice once. It was okay, but I won't do it again. It had a very strong cauliflower taste, more than I've ever noticed in steamed frozen cauliflower florets. Now, I just make the amount of cauli-rice that I intend to use immediately. IIRC, you don't care for the taste of frozen food, so I would suggest you avoid trying to freeze uncooked cauli-rice. If you want to try cauli-rice, use it to make faux fried rice.
Reply With Quote
  #10   ^
Old Sat, Jan-19-08, 10:18
ElleH ElleH is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 10,352
 
Plan: PP/Atkins Maintenance
Stats: 178/137/137 Female 5'6"
BF:28%
Progress: 100%
Location: Northern Virginia
Default

Thanks for the tip about the freezing! Boy that sure makes it not very doable, if I have to use fresh and can't freeze it. I'll bet a head, even a small one, will make a TON of rice and I would have to eat it for days, which is never a good thing for me to do, if I want to keep liking something. Any idea what volume a small head of grated cauliflower makes? I'm imagining at least 4 Cups.

Oh well. It was a nice thought.

I know it's "allowed." The qualifier is, of course, that you have to be able to portion control it and it can't set off cravings. Hence, the reason I'm trying to come up with a substitute, even while on maintenance, is that I *can't* trust myself with a small portion of rice. A small portion won't do...and once in a while won't do...and brown and wild rice won't do. I like white rice, I like a lot of it, and I like it often. Better not to have it than to try to settle for 1/2 a cup--which packs a 20g carb punch. And half a cup? Not worth messing with. I know myself...plus I'm trying to keep grains out of my life for the most part, as categorically, they cause problems for me in the trigger department.

Thanks everyone!

Last edited by ElleH : Sat, Jan-19-08 at 10:23.
Reply With Quote
  #11   ^
Old Sat, Jan-19-08, 13:28
rightnow's Avatar
rightnow rightnow is offline
Every moment is NOW.
Posts: 23,064
 
Plan: LC (ketogenic)
Stats: 520/381/280 Female 66 inches
BF: Why yes it is.
Progress: 58%
Location: Ozarks USA
Default

I have made the chicken fried 'rice' cauli for friends over for dinner twice in the past.

They ate theirs, plus leftovers, plus what I'd planned to save. And they were blown away when I told them it wasn't really rice.

The chicken-fried-rice version is ridiculously good. I could just eat this stuff as a meal regularly with chicken chunks in it.

Soy sauce has some carbs though you don't use a ton. Most brands have gluten which is why I quit eating it. I just found a soy sauce that doesn't a few weeks ago.
Reply With Quote
  #12   ^
Old Sat, Jan-19-08, 14:14
SereneOne's Avatar
SereneOne SereneOne is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 293
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 195/177.8/155 Female 55 inches
BF:
Progress: 43%
Location: Northern Virginia
Default

I serve it to my whole family. They love it. Of course, these are the kids who hate mashed potatoes and love mashed cauliflower.

What about using 1/4 of a head of fresh cauliflower? I've kept raw cauliflower in the fridge for quite a long time.
Reply With Quote
  #13   ^
Old Sat, Jan-19-08, 15:00
nole1984 nole1984 is offline
Go Seminoles......
Posts: 4,437
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 000/000/000 Female 5'5
BF:baby phat
Progress: 16%
Default

marking my place as I want to make it and love the ideas
Reply With Quote
  #14   ^
Old Sat, Jan-19-08, 17:31
Sandi S's Avatar
Sandi S Sandi S is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 115
 
Plan: Atkins '92
Stats: 245/220/130 Female 5'4'
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: Gatineau, Quebec Canada
Default

I made some tonight using roasted Cauliflower and it had a very nice taste to it that you don't get with steamed/boiled.

I roasted it until it was browned and a bit tender, I think it helped to get some of the moisture out before grating it for rice.

After grating I tossed it around in a pan with some butter, salt and pepper.

I used my oven on convection but you cold probably get away with a toaster oven for a small batch.
Reply With Quote
  #15   ^
Old Sat, Jan-19-08, 17:53
Kisal's Avatar
Kisal Kisal is offline
Never Give Up!
Posts: 14,482
 
Plan: It's anybody's guess!
Stats: 350/250/160 Female 70 inches
BF:
Progress: 53%
Location: Oregon
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ElleH
Thanks for the tip about the freezing! Boy that sure makes it not very doable, if I have to use fresh and can't freeze it. I'll bet a head, even a small one, will make a TON of rice and I would have to eat it for days, which is never a good thing for me to do, if I want to keep liking something. Any idea what volume a small head of grated cauliflower makes? I'm imagining at least 4 Cups.

Oh well. It was a nice thought.

I know it's "allowed." The qualifier is, of course, that you have to be able to portion control it and it can't set off cravings. Hence, the reason I'm trying to come up with a substitute, even while on maintenance, is that I *can't* trust myself with a small portion of rice. A small portion won't do...and once in a while won't do...and brown and wild rice won't do. I like white rice, I like a lot of it, and I like it often. Better not to have it than to try to settle for 1/2 a cup--which packs a 20g carb punch. And half a cup? Not worth messing with. I know myself...plus I'm trying to keep grains out of my life for the most part, as categorically, they cause problems for me in the trigger department.

Thanks everyone!
Elle, I used the smallest head of cauliflower I could find. It was about 5 inches in diameter, IIRC. After I fried it, I ended up with about 2 or 3 reasonably small servings of cauli-rice. I tried to freeze the leftovers, because I didn't think I'd use the extra serving(s) within the week. I've never been a big fan of rice, even when I ate a hc diet. If you like stir-fries, then you could probably quite easily use up the amount you would get from a small head of cauliflower.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:18.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.