Zucchini Rice

There’s a new healthy rice substitute that is SP friendly*. With just a few simple ingredients and little effort to prepare, our zucchini rice recipe is the side dish you’re going to be making all summer long. 

MAKES 4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
START TO FINISH: 35 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS
4 zucchini, ends trimmed
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Grate the zucchini on the coarse side of a box grater. Squeeze the grated zucchini with your hands and drain off the excess liquid.
2. Add the salt to the zucchini and toss to combine. Transfer to a strainer and drain, squeezing occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and zucchini to the pan, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cheese until combined, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately, warm.

* SP = Standard Process Purification Program

Easy Herbed Cauliflower Rice

cauliflower rice

Easy Herbed Cauliflower Rice

Yield: 8-10 one-cup servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of cauliflower
  • 1 tbsp ghee (or butter)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fine diced yellow onion
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1-2 tsp minced  fresh parsley (or 1/2 tsp if dried)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1-2 tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets, and then use a food processor to pulse the florets into rice-like grains.*  Set riced cauliflower aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the ghee, olive oil and onion. Sauté onion until it begins to soften. Then, add the salt, dried parsley, garlic powder and pepper. Stir well to combine the seasonings with the onion. Continue to cook onion another 1-2 minutes until soft and translucent.
  3. Add the riced cauliflower to the seasoned onion and stir well to combine. Continue stirring and sautéing the cauli-rice until it begins to soften (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add the chicken stock and cover the skillet. Allow the cauli-rice to steam for about 5 minutes until the stock is absorbed and the cauli-rice reaches desired texture.
  5. Remove cover, add the minced fresh parsley (optional) and fluff cauli-rice to combine.
  6. Serve alongside your favorite healthy meals.

Recipe Variation: By changing the herbs in this recipe, you can create customized cauli-rice to complement you main dish. For example, substitute minced fresh cilantro for the fresh parsley and add about 1/4 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp chili powder to create a delicious Mexi-Style Cauli-Rice.

* Psst!  You can process a head of cauliflower into rice up to 3-4 days in advance. Store the uncooked cauli-rice in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook. Cooked rice should also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and generally tastes great for up to 2-3 days. My favorite store, Trader Joe’s offers a real time saving option – cauliflower rice in a nice little bag in the refrigerator section.  Saves time and clean up!

Note: recipe creds go to thenourishinghome.com where I first found this tasty and nutritious grain-free “rice” dish.