Over the last couple of years, since I first became aware of the arsenic content of rice,* I have gradually cut down the amount I eat and swapped rice milk for homemade nut and seed milks**. I often use quinoa and buckwheat as gluten-free alternatives to rice. However, one option has taken some psyching up to try: cauliflower ‘rice’ or ‘couscous’. Recently, I decided to go for it and here’s how it turned out, plus the recipe (the hardest part was persuading my husband it was a good idea!).

We’ve been trying to have similar meals recently: my husband is vegetarian, I am vegan and gluten-free and we keep very different hours: he’s an early bird, I am a night owl, so our meals and mealtimes are often out of synch. But in an effort to cut down on bills and be more environmentally friendly, we are at least trying to make our evening meals at the same time either all in the oven or in the same pan on the stove. This time, my husband was going to have curry and rice but I presuaded him to have cauliflower couscous with me – I’m still not sure how that happened, because he’s not as adventurous as I am and has his rules about what goes with what – he was less than amused the other day when he defrosted what he thought was pasta sauce which turned out to be curry and he didn’t realise until the pasta was already on the boil!

Anyway, the cauli couscous turned out well and we both enjoyed it, my husband said he would have it again – success indeed! It was surprisingly filling, more so than rice, I think.

This recipe has all the essentials for a nutritious vegan meal: protein, b vitamins, healthy fats, antioxidants, fibre, minerals. It is vegan and gluten-free and can be made nut-free.

Makes enough for two large portions.

Here’s how we made it:

(All ingredients organic where possible, all amounts very approximate).

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Rice/Couscous:

1 Heaped Tsp Coconut Oil, melted but not smoking

Half a Cauliflower, lightly processed until resembles breadcrumbs, add to oil

Half a Cup of Almonds, preferably pre-soaked but not esential, ground and added to cauliflower rice

Add Heaped Tsp Curry Powder

Stirfry, cover, stir frequently for a few minutes, may need to add 1 Tbsp Water

Check seasoning, add a light squeeze of lemon juice or lime and serve.

For the Curried Vegetables:

1 Heaped Tsp Coconut Oil, melted but not smoking

Add:

1 Large Spring Onion, with greens, chopped; Half Courgette (zucchini), sliced; A few Green Beans, chopped; 2 Large Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced; Half a Carrot, chopped very small; some Sweetcorn

Together with:

Generous Tsp each of Curry Powder, Cumin, Ginger

Mix together, stirfry for a couple of minutes

Add:

Handful of Raisins or Sultanas, 1 Cox’s or Bramley Apple, chopped; 1 Tbsp Strawberry or Raspberry Fruit Spread (no sugar or artificial sweetener)

Squeeze of lemon juice

black pepper

Approx. 300mls Vegetable Stock, (mix 1 Heaped Tsp Cornflour with a little cold water to make a paste, add a little of the hot stock, then mix in with the rest of the stock), add a good Squeeze of Tomato Purée

Cover and cook for about 40 mins. until the veggies are cooked and flavours well-blended.

Adjust seasoning and serve with Cauliflower Rice.

Top with some toasted Sunflower Seeds or Pine Kernels and Desiccated Coconut, serve with some yogurt and chutney, if liked, and a small green salad.

* See Dr Michael Greger’s excellent articles on this topic

Also:

**How to make Almond Milk

How to Make Cashew Nut Milk & Why You Should!

How to make Horchata (aka Tiger Nut Milk)

How to make Smooth and Creamy Hemp Milk

Copyright: Chris McGowan