No-Rice Fake Rice Salad: LCHF

This salad is a snap to make. I drew inspiration from 500 Low-Carb Recipes, by Dana Carpender. I love low-carb cookbooks, because not only do I learn something new about low carb meals, but it also gets me motivated to add and tweak to recipes and turn them into something that me, and my family, love. This one has a completely unexpected ingredient: minced cauliflower! Trust me, my shock level was about the same when I first read it. Pop cauliflower in the food processor, pulse for two minutes, and you have something that eerily resembles rice. Add some heat and a paper towel, and you have something that even tastes similar to couscous. Crazy, right? If you don't believe me, try it for yourself!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 c pesto 

1 head of cauliflower

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 package of cherry tomatoes, sliced length-wise

1 red onion, chopped 

1 c mixed olives

1/3 c feta (cubes)

1/3 c mozzarella (cut into cubes)

Directions:

1. Cut cauliflower into manageable pieces, small enough to fit into the food processor. 

Tip: the smaller you cut the pieces, the easier the work will be for the food processor. 

2. Process about two minutes, until cauliflower is roughly the same size as rice grains or couscous. Put in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a paper towel, and microwave for 10 minutes--stopping halfway to mix cauliflower. Be careful, this gets hot!

3. While cauliflower is steaming and cooling, cut tomatoes in half length-wise. Put in separate (big!) bowl. Then proceed chopping red bell pepper,  red onion, olives, and mozzarella. Add to bowl, along with feta cubes.

Fun fact: I got my olives and feta pre-mixed at the olive bar at my local grocery store--this makes things much easier, and cheaper.

4. Measure out red wine vinegar and pesto, add to bowl and stir. 

5. Once cauliflower is cool enough (it can be slightly warm), add to bowl.

Tip: I threw my cauliflower in the freezer for about 15 minutes, checking on it every 5 or so. This is an easier and faster way to cool down cauliflower if you're in a rush!

6. Mix & let sit! The original recipe said overnight is best, but it can sit for a minimum of a half hour to let flavors marinate and absorb the dressing. 

See? Simple, easy & simply delicious. With mostly vegetable, the carbohydrate count is very low and the fat comes from the pesto and cheese. This recipe fit lovely into my low-carb pyramid, and it can be used as a lovely summer side salad or a dinner itself! 

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