GINGER CAULIFLOWER RICE

SERVES 4

As I’m sure we all know by now… cauliflower rice is not actual rice, but it makes a great carb-free stand-in, especially when it’s flavored with lots of ginger. You can buy riced cauliflower at many grocery stores (it’s often in the freezer aisle), but it’s also easy to make at home with a food processor. If you’d like to try, I’ve given instructions in the Note below.

1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated (about 2 teaspoons)

3 fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 teaspoons plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, finely diced

4 cups cauliflower rice, homemade (see Note) or store-bought

In a mortar with a pestle or a small food processor, combine the ginger, basil, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and pound or process into a paste.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower rice and continue to cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger paste and cook 1 minute more, then serve.

Note

To make cauliflower rice at home, start with 1 large head (about 2 pounds). Cut the cauliflower into quarters and remove the core from each piece. Break up the remaining cauliflower into large florets. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor and process until reduced to couscous-size pieces (if necessary, do this in two batches). If you do not have a food processor, you can also grate the florets on the large holes of a box grater; you should end up with 4 cups of cauliflower rice.