Cauliflower Rice Pilaf with Nuts and Herbs

Maura Knowles - The Upside Blog

by | Updated: July 12th, 2017 | Read time: 1 minute

When you’re focused on rebooting your diet and overall health, consider making small, manageable changes. Instead of quitting your favorite comfort food cold turkey, simply start by adding more vegetables to your diet. On pasta night, swap your noodles with zoodles. For tacos, shuck the shells and stuff your favorite taco toppings into a bell pepper. And, rather than serving a side of rice with your meal, up your veggie intake with this cauliflower rice pilaf.

Cauliflower Rice Pilaf in Bowl | Vitacost.com/blog

Ingredients

Pilaf

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets & stems
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. parsley
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, torn
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 Tbsp. toasted hemp seeds
1 red pepper, sliced
1 garlic clove, diced
Pinch sea salt, optional

Cashew cheese

2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup water

Directions

  1. To make cashew cheese, in a high-speed blender, combine soaked and drained cashews and water. Process until smooth.
  2. To make pilaf, in a high-speed blender or food processor, pulse cauliflower florets and stems until texture is similar to rice.
  3. In a medium-sized pan, heat oil and garlic. Add rice and coat.
  4. Add pine nuts, hemp seeds, cashew cheese, red pepper and sea salt. Sauté until steaming hot.
  5. Serve with fresh basil.