Microwave Cauliflower "Rice"

Microwave Cauliflower “Rice”

Claire Wright

Featuring:

Cauliflower

Effort:

Complexity:

Cost:

In season now

Serves: 4 as a side

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

Veg Portions / Serving: 1

Recipe created for Veg Power by Claire Wright.

Claire Wright from addsomeveg.com shares 3 simple ways to prepare cauliflower that the whole family will enjoy.

“Riced” cauliflower makes for a really easy way to add a little more veg to the family’s plates. Just swap some or all of your rice/quinoa/couscous for simple microwave cauliflower rice. Served with a curry, sauce, meat or fish, beans or whatever you enjoy having with rice, the “rice” absorbs the flavours of the dish so is a great way to serve it to cauli-skeptics.

Method:

Blitz the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice or couscous. Pour into a microwave-safe bowl and cover with cling film or a non-airtight lid, then microwave on High for 5-8 mins, until the cauliflower is cooked and piping hot. Alternatively, steam on the stove until cooked through (about 5-10 mins). Serve as you would any cooked grain. You can also do this with broccoli, squash, sweet potato or other root veggies.

Engaging Kids

Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.

Kids in the kitchen

Get the kids to break the cauliflower into florets with their hands. Let them carefully place the florets into the food processor and push the button until it is “riced”. Show them how to work the microwave.

Activities

While getting kids to interact with veggies for real and using their senses to explore them is best, encouraging hands off activities like arts & crafts, puzzles & games or at-home science experiments can be a great start, particularly for those who are fussier eaters or struggle with anything too sensory. Use these veg-themed activities as a stepping stone to interacting with the veg themselves. We have loads of crafty downloads here, puzzles here, and quirky science with veg here.

Sensory

Once you feel your child is ready to engage a little more, you can show them how to explore the veg you have on hand with their senses, coming up with playful silly descriptions of how a veg smells, feels, looks, sounds and perhaps even tastes. Find ideas, videos and some simple sensory education session ideas to get you started here.

Serving

The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it! Giving children a sense of ownership in the meal can make a big difference to their feelings going into it and the pride they take in it. You know your child best, but if you aren’t sure where to start, we have some fun and simple ideas for easy roles you can give them in the serving process over here.

Claire Wright

Editor: After leaving Exeter University with a degree in English Literature, Claire worked in various fields ranging from youth work and charities to publishing, before starting up a food-focused website when her first child was born. After being asked to project manage the publication of Veg Power's Crowdfunder book, Claire came on board as a fully-fledged team member in 2018 to take on the role of Communications Manager, then Editor, looking after Veg Power's website, content, recipes and social media platforms.

addsomeveg.com/

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