The grate-est kitchen hack

I know cauliflower was all the rage in 2017, but it’s recently become a staple in my fridge. Surprisingly, I’ve never had cauliflower grilled cheese or cauliflower pizza (and it’ll most likely stay that way because life is too short to skip the real kind), but the mighty florets don’t get enough recognition for their versatility in other dishes.

To take advantage of that versatility, there’s one magic tool you should add to your food prep arsenal: a box grater. True, you could use a regular grater, but life is so much better when you don’t have to worry about food flying all over the place. Beyond being sturdy and mess-minimizing, box graters are also fantastic because they have different sized holes (and the one side of mine has a slicer). Long story short, I use it to grate my own cauliflower rice instead of purchasing the pre-made kind at Trader Joe’s.

Cauliflower rice? Yes, you read that right!

Since comfort food= carb bomb, I love using cauliflower rice to lighten it up without sacrificing flavor or consistency/texture. I think that when you cut out carbs altogether in a dish, sometimes you miss that “bulk” of what makes the dish what it was in the first place. What do I mean by that? Take stir fry, for example (one of my favorite quick meals to make). Cauliflower rice looks a lot like regular white rice, so when everything is all mixed together, my mind is kind of tricked into thinking I’m eating the real thing. But given that one cup of cooked white rice has about 200 calories, I’d much rather have the just-as-bland-yet-healthier cauliflower kind. I prefer to put my 200 calories into something much tastier anyway!

Aside from stir fry, cauliflower rice stole the show in this creamy, delicious chowder recipe. By swapping out the potato in the soup for our versatile veggie, you don’t have to feel guilty about sprucing up your bowl with cheese, bacon bits, and other toppings. All the comfort with way fewer calories.

And last but not least, if you love barbecue chicken wings you’re going to drool over these.

While you’re preparing your next comfort food meal, try grating in some cauliflower (or another vegetable like carrots, zucchini, etc.) for an added boost. Have fun getting creative, and watch your friends be amazed by your magic chef tricks.

Let’s hear your ideas in the comments!

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