"Not Rice" and "Not Noodles"

It's hard to believe that ten months ago, rice and noodles were a daily staple at our house (as was cereal, oatmeal, bread, and tortillas).  We've come a long way this past year eliminating starchy white foods from our diet!  Truth be told, I'm not even interested in eating them.  Starchy white food seems so bland in comparison to the colorful array of vegetables, eggs, and meat that are my new daily staples.

But rice and noodles are vehicles for oh so many delicious foods!  They soak up sauces, stir-frys, curries, and soups, and provide a filler to help stretch meals.  Going Paleo meant finding substitutes to our former favorite staple starches.

Enter cauliflower and cabbage.  We often go through three heads of each a week, often in the shape of rice and noodles, or what we call "not rice" and "not noodles".  Neither dish is groundbreaking or exclusively original to my kitchen, but I thought I'd share my method of cooking a few simple staples that have saved and stretched many a meal the last few months.




Cauliflower "Not" Rice

1 head of cauliflower, broken into big chunks
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Using a food processor, chop cauliflower until it's the consistency of couscous.  I process a half a head of cauliflower at a time and add the coconut oil, salt, and pepper while chopping to speed up the mixing process.  Spread the cauliflower on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden on top and beginning to brown on edges.




Cabbage "Not" Noodles

1 head of cabbage, shredded
2-3 Tablespoons bacon grease
salt and pepper to taste

Heat bacon grease in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add cabbage and stir until the cabbage is coated with the bacon grease.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is very tender and beginning to turn golden.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!