Spinach & Herb Cauliflower Rice Pilaf (10 minutes to make)

Sometimes I put off making dinner to the last minute and have absolutely no idea what to make.  Well I had one of those days yesterday and while looking at the hanging herb garden my sister made me, I spotted all the yummy basil growing. I decided to make a quick pilaf using cauliflower rice. It’s so much quicker than regular rice and with the addition of a few herbs (basil and lemon thyme) and some slivered almonds, we had a quick and easy side dish in 10 minutes.

Cauliflower and flat leaf spinach are a staple in my house now a days. You cans do so many things with cauliflower and I like to eat the spinach raw or add it to my eggs, smoothies or stir fries. I buy it from Aldis and it’s conveniently pre washed and ready to go all at a great price. Can’t beat that!  So to make this dish, I just riced some cauliflower in my food processor. You just throw the florets into the bowl and pulse until it looks like rice. I do this in my mini food processor so I have to do a few batches but it’s easier to get the big chunks done and not turn the whole thing into soup. You can also easily do it in the blender (check out this post).

Once that is done, I heat up a  big sauté pan and add some olive oil and garlic. Once it becomes fragrant I added the cauliflower and stir for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and taste to see if the cauliflower is done. This only takes a few minutes. When it tastes done, I turn of the heat, add the spinach and herbs and toss until the spinach is wilted.  Top with slivered almonds (found at Aldi’s too) and I’m done.  As I’ve said, this takes just 10 minutes…15 minutes tops and it tastes so fresh and delicious. I bet it would even taste good cold but we didn’t have any leftovers to try that. Next time.

While I used fresh basil (and I highly recommend it), you could also use dried herbs. Just remember a rule of thumb is 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs is equal to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. I hope you get a chance to make this next time you are in a pinch for a quick side dish. And if you do, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it! Enjoy!

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Spinach & Herb Cauliflower Rice Pilaf

This Spinach & Herb Cauliflower Rice Pilaf takes only about 15 minutes to make and is full of healthy flavor while low in calories and carbs. A tasty Paleo dish!

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Denise Wright (MyLifeCookbook.com)

Ingredients

• 4 cups of cauliflower riced
• 3 Tabelspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups baby spinach leaved chopped
• 10 basil leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted almond slivers optional

Instructions

1. In a large saute pan, add your olive oil and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add your riced cauliflower and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mix well and let cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Add butter and mix until melted. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Taste your cauliflower to see if it is done enough. If so, turn off the heat and add basil and spinach.
6. Toss until wilted.
7. Sprinkle almonds on top and serve.