Part 19 (1/2)

Remove the tips and strings from the snow peas and snip into -inch (6-mm) lengths. (By now the microwave has beeped-take the lid off your cauliflower or it will turn into a mush that bears not the slightest resemblance to rice!) Melt the b.u.t.ter in the skillet and saute the pea pods, onion, and carrot for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stir everything together well. Stir in the soy sauce and cook the whole thing, stirring often, for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper and serve.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 4 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.

Chicken-Almond ”Rice”

This is great for all of you who miss Rice-a-Roni and similar products. And it's terrific with a simple rotisserie chicken.

head cauliflower medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter, divided 1 tablespoon (6 g) chicken bouillon granules 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning cup (60 ml) dry white wine cup (30 g) sliced or slivered almonds Run the cauliflower through the food processor using the shredding blade. Put the cauliflower in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 7 minutes.

While that's cooking, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon (14 g) of b.u.t.ter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

When the cauliflower is done, pull it out of the microwave, drain it, and add it to the skillet with the onion. Add the chicken bouillon granules, poultry seasoning, and wine and stir. Turn the heat down to low.

Let that simmer for a minute or two while you saute the almonds in the remaining tablespoon of b.u.t.ter in a small, heavy skillet. When the almonds are golden, stir them into the ”rice” and serve.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 2 grams of protein.

Sunkist now puts out sliced, toasted almonds in various flavors, under the name ”Almond Accents.” Feel free to use these to vary this dis.h.!.+

Lonestar ”Rice”

head cauliflower, shredded 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 1 tablespoon (14 g) b.u.t.ter cup (40 g) chopped onion 1 cup (100 g) sliced mushrooms cup (40 g) snow pea pods, fresh, cut in -inch (1.3-cm) pieces teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules or concentrate Put the cauliflower in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid. Add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 6 minutes.

While that's cooking, heat the olive oil and b.u.t.ter in a large skillet and saute the onions, mushrooms, and snow peas. I like to use the edge of my spatula to break up the mushrooms into smaller pieces but leave the slices whole if you like them better that way-it's up to you. When the mushrooms have changed color and the snow peas are tender-crisp, drain your cooked cauli-rice and stir it in. Add the chili powder and beef bouillon, stir to distribute the seasonings well, and then serve.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 2 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 4 g usable carbs.

Beef and Bacon ”Rice” with Pine Nuts head cauliflower 4 strips bacon medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon (15 ml) liquid beef bouillon concentrate 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato sauce 2 tablespoons (18 g) toasted pine nuts 2 tablespoons (7.6 g) chopped parsley Run the cauliflower through the food processor using the shredding blade, put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover it, and cook it on high for 7 minutes.

While that's cooking, cut the bacon into little pieces-kitchen shears are good for this-and start the little bacon bits frying in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When a little grease has cooked out of the bacon, throw the onion into the skillet. Fry them until the onion is translucent and the bacon is browned and getting crisp.

By now the cauliflower should be done. Drain it and throw it in the skillet with the bacon and onion. Add the beef bouillon concentrate and tomato sauce and stir the whole thing up to combine everything-you can add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, if you like, to help the liquid flavorings spread.

Stir in the pine nuts and parsley (you can just snip it right into the skillet with clean kitchen shears) and serve.

Yield: 4 or 5 servings 4 or 5 servings a.s.suming 4 servings, each will have 3 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 2 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.

Venetian ”Rice”

This is rich-tasting and slightly piquant.

head cauliflower 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 cup (100 g) sliced mushrooms 3 anchovy fillets, minced 1 clove garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons (18.8 g) grated Parmesan cheese Run the cauliflower through the shredding blade of your food processor. Put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish with a lid, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and cook on high for 5 to 6 minutes. When it's done, uncover immediately!

Combine the olive oil and b.u.t.ter in a big, heavy skillet over medium heat, swirling together as the b.u.t.ter melts. Add the mushrooms and saute until they're soft and changing color. If your mushroom slices are quite large, you may want to break them up a bit with the edge of your spatula as you stir.

When the mushrooms are soft, stir in the minced anchovies and garlic. Add the cauli-rice, undrained-that little bit of water is going to help the flavors blend. Stir well to distribute all the flavors.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Yield: 3 to 4 servings 3 to 4 servings Each will have 4 g protein; 2 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 1 g usable carb.

Beef and Bacon ”Rice” with Pine Nuts Since West Coasters call scallions ”green onions,” I toyed with calling this ”Blue-Green 'Risotto.' ” Making risotto out of cauliflower ”rice” is one of the best ideas I've ever had!

head cauliflower 8 scallions, thinly sliced [image]cup (100 g) diced green pepper 1 tablespoon (28 g) b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules cup (60 ml) dry white wine cup (30 g) crumbled blue cheese cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream Put the cauliflower through the food processor using the shredding blade. Put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 7 minutes.

While that's cooking, slice the scallions and dice the pepper. In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, start sauteing the scallions and pepper in the b.u.t.ter and oil.

When the microwave goes ”ding,” remove the cauliflower and drain it. When the green pepper is starting to get soft, add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir it in. Then stir in the bouillon, white wine, blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes and serve.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 4 grams of protein.

Mushroom ”Risotto”

Man, this is good! One of the best side dishes I've ever come up with.

head cauliflower 3 tablespoons (42 g) b.u.t.ter 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms medium onion, diced 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry vermouth 1 tablespoon (6 g) chicken bouillon granules cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese Guar or xanthan 2 tablespoons (7.6 g) chopped fresh parsley Run the cauliflower through the food processor using the shredding blade. Put the cauliflower in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover, and microwave on high for 7 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking, melt the b.u.t.ter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute them all together.

When the cauliflower is done, pull it out of the microwave and drain it. When the mushrooms have changed color and are looking done, add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir everything together. Stir in the vermouth, bouillon, and cheese and let the whole thing cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle just a little guar or xanthan over the ”risotto,” stirring all the while, to give it a creamy texture. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Yield: 5 servings 5 servings Each with 4 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein.

Not-Quite-Middle-Eastern Salad Here shredded cauliflower stands in for bulgar wheat instead of rice. This salad is incredibly delicious, incredibly nutritious, and quite beautiful on the plate. Plus it gets better after a couple of days in the fridge, so taking an extra few minutes to double the batch is definitely worth it.

head cauliflower [image]cup (70 g) sliced stuffed olives*

7 scallions, sliced 2 cups (40 g) triple-washed fresh spinach, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, diced 1 small ripe tomato, finely diced 4 tablespoons (15.2 g) chopped parsley cup (60 ml) olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons (28 g) mayonnaise Salt and pepper Run the cauliflower through the food processor using the shredding blade, put it in a microwaveable ca.s.serole dish, add a couple of tablespoons (30 ml) of water, cover the dish, and cook it on high for just 5 minutes.

While that's cooking, put the olives, scallions, spinach, celery, tomato, and parsley in a large salad bowl.

When the cauliflower comes out of the microwave, dump it in a strainer and run cold water over it for a moment or two to cool it. (You can let the cauliflower cool uncovered instead, but it will take longer.) Drain the cauliflower well and dump it in with all the other vegetables. Add the oil, garlic, vinegar, and mayonnaise and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste, toss again, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 1 gram of protein.

*You can buy sliced stuffed olives in jars.

Hobo Packet This cooks right on the grill along with your meat course-not even a mixing bowl to was.h.!.+ It's really tasty, too.

head cauliflower medium onion 1 medium carrot 1 large rib celery teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper 8 slices bacon, cooked 2 tablespoons (28 g) b.u.t.ter Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.

Chop your cauliflower into smallish chunks. Coa.r.s.ely chop the onion, slice the carrot about inch (6 mm) thick, and slice the celery about the same thickness.

Tear off a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil about 18 inches (45 cm) long and lay it on the counter. Pile the vegetables in the middle. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, crumble the cooked bacon on top, and dot with the b.u.t.ter. Fold the foil over the whole thing and fold the seam a few times to seal it well. Roll up the ends to seal them, too.

Throw the whole packet on the grill and cook about 12 to 15 minutes per side over a medium charcoal fire or gas grill. Pull the packet off the grill with tongs, put it on a plate to open it up, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings 6 servings Each serving will have 3 grams of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, for a usable carb count of 2 grams; 3 grams protein.