riced cauliflower sauteed with onion and simmered in coconut milk, finished with cilantro and lime, a grain-free pilaf

Watching the pot closely near the end is the whole trick here, since the gap between creamy and soupy is a matter of a minute or 2 once the coconut milk starts to absorb. Rice disappears for the length of this protocol, and it was probably the first thing you noticed missing at dinner, the food that used to carry everything else on the plate. What replaces it here does not lean on that memory for long: rich from the coconut milk, bright at the finish from lime and cilantro, a dish that earns its own spot at the table.

Vitamin C is one thing cauliflower is quietly good for, tied to ongoing tissue repair, and vitamin K is the other, doing its part in normal blood clotting and bone maintenance. Cauliflower rarely gets credit for either one, playing background to whatever dish it is disguised as that week, but the work is real regardless.

Fresh cilantro and a real squeeze of lime at the end are what keep this from tasting like a side dish you are just settling for. Stir them in off the heat so they stay green and sharp instead of going dull in the pot. A small, ordinary plate like this still deserves a moment of attention before you eat, simply because you took the time to make it.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cups riced raw cauliflower
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, free of additives
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Method

Warm the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent.

Add the riced cauliflower and stir to coat it in the oil. Cook a few minutes, stirring now and then, just until it starts to soften.

Pour in the coconut milk and the sea salt. Lower the heat and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and most of the coconut milk has been absorbed. You want it creamy, not soupy.

Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro and the lime juice. Taste, adjust the salt, and serve warm.

Notes

Use a coconut milk free of additives, with no gums or fillers. This dish is compliant as written.

Servings and total time are estimates, not stated in the source. Rice the cauliflower yourself in a food processor, or use plain pre-riced cauliflower if it is just cauliflower.

*Adapted from wendisaipkitchen.com*