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I’m a dietary traveler. I’ve got my culinary passport stamped from all different diets and lifestyles, from vegetarian to vegan to gluten free to raw. I’ll probably have to get some extra pages soon. I love trying something from anything and everything and seeing what I can incorporate in my own kitchen. Today we’re visiting the land of Paleo.

Paleo’s exploded in the past few years, largely because crossfit boom. Most crossfitters go paleo to help achieve their fitness goals and feel cleaner. Others adopt paleo because it makes them feel better. Paleo cuts out grains (including pseudograins like quinoa), legumes, dairy, processed oils, and anything that a caveman (from Paleolithic times, hence the name) couldn’t come across in his daily life.

I’m not super deep in Paleo Land, but I do like the emphasis on less refined and processed foods and more fruits and vegetables. Making a paleo recipe also means that my gluten-free friends can enjoy it without worry.

Cauliflower rice is a side dish I’ve seen pop up a few times in the paleo community and I’ve been hooked on it ever since I first made it. When you put cauliflower in a food processor and blitz it up, it looks a lot like rice. It has a light flavor and is so easy to dress up any way you want.

I’ve made variations with peas, carrots, kale, spinach, curried, spicy… the options are endless. And, what I love about cauliflower rice the most is that you get so many more vegetables than if you just had real rice with a side of vegetables. This recipe has 3 vegetables, not including the cauliflower! You can eat well and get so many more nutrients than before.

Depending on the size of cauliflower you get, you can also easily turn this into an entree, and just top it with some protein or stir in some beans (which wouldn’t make it paleo, but that doesn’t bother me). I’ve topped it with cooked crumbled tempeh a few times, and the chewiness of the tempeh is a good contrast to the softness of the rice. I used a 1 1/2 pound cauliflower and for our table, we got about 3-4 side dish servings.

Enjoy this adventure into Paleo Land. Maybe I’ll see you on my travels in another dietary country and we can discover and enjoy another new staple.

Want more cauliflower dishes from this series? You can find them here:

Nutrition DL: Cauliflower

Curried Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower Greek Yogurt Dip

Quick Roasted Cauliflower Soup

This recipe is part of a series called Nutrition DL. Nutrition DL gives you the download on seasonal fruits, vegetables, or pantry staples. Once you learn about the basics of the featured ingredient, I share a four recipes over four weeks to inspire and feed you with this great seasonal food. Check out other foods I’ve covered here.