Rainbow Cauliflower Rice Bowls

Picture the scene. It's late on a Sunday evening. All of my books are tucked into my knapsack-style backpack, I've done my laundry and the dishes, and my workout for the day is done. I've dotted the 'i's and crossed the 't's on each weekend homework assignment I've been given, and it is nearly time for bed. But one thing remains to be done.

Well, two, I suppose. The first is watching a Doctor Who episode or two... or three, because it is extraordinarily important to do at least one thing everyday that makes you happy. You have to have me time. It's not optional. The second is packing my lunch, which I typically enjoy. It is a nice feeling, being in the kitchen with the stars twinkling outside, chopping vegetables, sprinkling spices, and roasting proteins. Very relaxing. But I do prefer it when I have all of the necessary ingredients.

For those of you who know me, or are a regular here in my little corner of the Internet, you'll know that I do all of the menu creation, grocery shopping, and cooking for my family. Sometimes, though, I have to ask for help. Such was the case last weekend, on Sunday December 2nd; as we are nearing the end of the school semester, I am slightly weighed down with honors projects from a variety of different classes. Actually, remove the 'slightly' from that sentence. Truth be told, I'm swamped. So I decided to take a fifteen minute break to scrap together a menu, jot down a grocery list, and enjoy a bracing cup of tea. I then proceeded to ask my parents if they'd be willing to do the shopping for me. "Yes," they said. "Of course." Relieved, I went back to annotating The Handmaid's Tale.

And then they got home from the store. I peered into the brown paper bags. Guess what? Despite the fact that I'd written everything down, organized each item (from the broccoli to the full-fat ricotta) by store section, they'd still managed to forget half of it! In reality, it was more comical than annoying. I love my mom and dad dearly, and even though I was a bit disappointed not to have all of my ingredients, the situation made me laugh. It seemed as though we'd switched roles, from child to parent and vice versa. Sure, I had to adjust my plan for school lunches that week. But it was no big deal.

In fact, the result was a quite delicious recipe, which I am happy to present you all with today: Rainbow Cauliflower Rice Bowls. All you need to do is roast some frozen cauliflower rice, chop up some vegetables, and portion them into portable Tupperware in order to have a tasty lunch for half of the week. And the best part? This should only take you a total of 30 to 45 minutes! Also, these bowls are not only Keto, but are vegetarian AND vegan, so they work for practically everyone! Enjoy, my friends.


Rainbow Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 packages of Green Giant Frozen Cauliflower Rice
- Plenty of avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- 2 orange bell peppers
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 large, ripe avocado
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: Nova Lox, sesame seeds, seaweed, macadamia nuts, ginger, more vegetables, etc.

Execution
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is warming up, line a sizable sheet pan with parchment paper. Bash the bags of cauliflower rice in order to separate the large chunks into smaller pieces. When I say bash, I don't mean literally pound the life out of the bags - you don't want to clean up a bag of exploded frozen cauliflower rice, trust me. Perhaps try whacking it with a spoon or hit it lightly on the table; you can thaw the rice instead if desired, but this may change the cooking time. Pour your cauliflower rice onto the pan. Douse generously with avocado, coconut, olive, or any oil of your choice - even melted grass-fed butter would do wonderfully. Salt and pepper if desired. Add the pan to the preheated oven, and bake between 30-45 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like your "rice."

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables. Dice the bell peppers, roma tomatoes, and avocado; split evenly. Chop your lemon in half. When the cauliflower rice is done, wait for it to cool before portioning into two Tupperware. Evenly distribute your veggies along the top of the cauliflower rice, and add your lemon wedge to be squeezed later. Top with any of your optional ingredients - nova lox is delicious, but macadamia nuts are my personal favorite. Feel free to drizzle your bowls with a dressing of your choice - maybe a dash of coconut aminos, or a Lemon Turmeric vinaigrette.

Finally, simply pop your meal-prepped Rainbow Cauliflower Rice Bowls into the fridge, and they are ready to pack for lunch sometime during the week! They should last for a few days - if you'd like the avocado to go longer without oxidizing (turning brown), try sprinkling it with a bit of extra salt. Putting your dressing of choice on the day of is also a good way to ensure the bowl stays fresh, but it tastes amazing even without a dressing. Enjoy!

Thanks, everyone. I do apologize for how long it's been since I posted - school's been a tad bit hectic, but I promise to try to update The Avocado and Me more frequently! Happy Monday!

- Maya

Photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash, Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash,

Photo by Maya, Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash, Photo by Bradley Swenson on Unsplash