Carbs! Carbs! Carbs! We keep hearing that it’s good to limit them but how, and why?! Well, it’s no secret that the incidence of diabetes and obesity in our country has risen over the past several decades. Unfortunately, these issues are largely caused by how we eat over a long period of time. It is also no secret that the US is known for a meal palate of primarily white foods largely consisting of bread and white potato and pasta. These foods are ‘high glycemic’ which means that when we eat them, our blood sugar spikes very sharply.
When this diet is adopted over time, our body’s sugar metabolism is affected significantly. This can lead to diabetes as well as a whole host of other types of illnesses. Foods that are high in carbohydrates are commonly high glycemic foods as well. By reducing foods that are high in carbohydrates in our diet, we can improve the health of our body.
Carbohydrates are not all bad– in fact, they are very important to our body for production of energy. Without any carbohydrates, our body would struggle as well. But eating well is all about choices, and making the best choices in food has to do with how nutrient dense our food choices are. For example, eating carrots and sweet potatoes and whole fruit in moderation are fantastic sources of carbohydrates as compared to starchy breads and pasta and packaged foods. Vegetables come with their own numerous benefits. In fact, eating a rainbow of colors can provide us with ample phytonutrients to support our body’s health as well.
Cauliflower is part of the cruciferous vegetable family which also houses broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, radish, rutabaga, turnip and even arugula. Cruciferous veggies are super foods that can help with cancer prevention, depression relief, pain relief, and much more. Considering the rainbow of colors that was just mentioned, we can find cauliflower in so many bold colors today in the grocery store.
As a plain vegetable is can be prepared in many delicious ways. Simply roasting cauliflower florets with some sea salt, pepper, parprika, and avocado oil can give you a wonderful compliment to any meal. In this post, I am going to teach you how to prepare cauliflower rice, which can be a fun and flavorful substitute for rice or pasta and makes a beautiful bed to lay your grass-fed beef or wild fish on!
Fragrant Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice |
| – Ingredients – |
| 1 large pinch saffron threads |
| 1/4 cup chicken broth |
| 1 head cauliflower |
| 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil |
| 1/2 onion, chopped |
| 1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds |
| 1/2 tsp paprika |
| 1/2 tsp sea salt |
| 1/4 tsp cracked pepper |
| 2 TBS lemon juice |
| 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped |
| 1/4 cup pine nuts |
| – Method – |
| 1. Crumble saffron threads into small bowl with chicken broth and set aside to steep. |
| 2. Place cauliflower florets (heads) in foods processor and pulse until resembles small coarse rice (or can use box shredder). |
| 3. Heat pan with oil on medium to low until hot. |
| 4. Add onion and cumin seeds to pan. Caramelize onion and toast cumin seeds. |
| 5. Once onion is translucent, add cauliflower and seasoning and mix well to fully incorporate ingredients. |
| 6. Add Chicken broth (with saffron) and lemon juice. Mix again. |
| 7. Add sun-dried tomatoes and mix to incorporate. |
| 8. Cover pan for about 10 minutes until cauliflower is softened and fragrant. |
| 9. Enjoy with your favorite pairing of natural protein! |