Hosting Thanksgiving dinner and looking for a non-traditional side dish that will impress? I really like this Cauliflower rice recipe. The recipe is incredibly easy to make ahead and there’s so much flavor. The caramelized cauliflower with the green onions and red pepper flakes also make for a pretty dish.
I’ve made the recipe a handful of times and it always turns out great. One thing I’ve noticed is that the extra five minutes of “drying out” the rice didn’t really change the consistency that much, so you could omit that step, especially is oven space is critical. Also, I like to add mushrooms as well to my dish.
Roasted Cauliflower Rice from Ad Hoc via LA Times
Ingredients
1/2 head white cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of curry powder
6 cups water
1 cup Carolina, or long grain, rice
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with the canola oil and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste. Place the cauliflower in a roasting pan (reserve the bowl) and roast until the cauliflower is a deep brown and tender throughout when pierced with a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes, tossing several times for even coloring and cooking. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.
While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the rice: In a large saucepan, add the water and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and chili flakes and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook the rice just until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rice well, then spread the rice in a thin shallow layer in a large baking dish.
Place the rice in the oven to dry out for 5 minutes. Remove, then stir in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and pepper.
Place the cauliflower back in the bowl and toss with the curry powder. Taste and season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper.
Gently stir in the warmed rice and butter, tossing until the butter is melted and evenly coats the rice and cauliflower. Stir in the green onions and serve immediately.
