When I found out that I was pre-diabetic, one of the toughest things to cut out my diet was rice.

In my case grains—even whole ones—cause my blood sugar to spike. But being part Asian, it seemed downright sacrilegious to forgo rice.

I’m not being dramatic when I say that there were times I actually dreamed of eating it.

However, just when I thought I would never indulge in my favorite grain, I discovered there was a way to have my rice without worrying about elevated blood sugar.

The solution: Cauliflower rice

While some may be rolling their eyes in disbelief, the recipe below tastes surprisingly like the real thing. It is nutritious and actually takes less time to cook than many types of rice. Best of all, you don’t even need to be pre-diabetic or diabetic to appreciate this.

Lastly, it works great as a side or even as an entire meal.

Ingredients for three servings:

• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 onion sliced finely
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of mushrooms, broccoli, and/or carrots (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil (Use the former for a dish more like
• 1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Amino or wheat-free tamari

1. Break the cauliflower into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse for a minute or less being careful not to over chop. (Ideally, it should look like white rice grains.)

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic until both are lightly brown.

3. Add the cauliflower and cook on medium for 3-5 minutes. (If the mixture seems too dry, add a teaspoon of water. The mixture should be moist but not soggy.)

4. Add the mushrooms, broccoli and/or carrots if using and cover pan with a lid until the veggies are lightly steamed.

5. Stir in the amino acids or tamari and serve.

Note: For those looking for more variation, try experimenting with the veggies like sweetcorn, peas, and kale.

Relephant: 

Cauliflower Mashed (Pseudo) Potatoes. {Recipe}

Delicious Potato & Cauliflower Curry. {Vegan Recipe}

Author: Kimberly Lo

Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: iris at Flickr