As a general rule, I tend to avoid trendy food like the plague. You won’t find a spiralizer in my kitchen, I have no interest in juicing and I’ve never tried a kale chip.
So, as you can probably imagine, I was initially skeptical about Cauli Rice. The first long life, ready-made cauliflower rice contains 75% fewer calories than conventional rice and it’s also vegan, gluten-free and preservative-free. Designed to be used by those on low-carb or low-GI diets, it’s definitely something I would have overlooked had the company not contacted me directly.
While I have no interest in reducing my carb intake, I am always searching for new ways to sneak a little extra veg into our meals. A single pouch of Cauli Rice counts as one of your five-a-day and can be served in place of rice, potatoes or pasta.
Although Cauli Rice is available in delicious sounding flavours like Mediterranean, Indian Pilau and Lemongrass and Chilli, I decided to use the Original version in a favourite recipe of mine.
The beauty of this dish is that you can vary the ingredients and utilise whatever you have to hand. Throw in aubergine, leeks, carrots or parsnips, use an alternative type of fish and even play around with the combination of fresh herbs to create something slightly different every time.
I was incredibly impressed with the Cauli Rice. In this particular incarnation it reminded me more of cous cous, which is no bad thing. Mr L.A. won’t touch the stuff, but this he gobbled up quite happily! I probably wouldn’t eat it plain, but it worked beautifully with the other flavours at play here.
You will need:
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 red onion, peeled and quartered
- The fleshy neck of 1 butternut squash, chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- A generous handful of fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 pouch of Original Cauli Rice
- 4 firm fish fillets, such as haddock, halibut or salmon, skinned and pinboned {I use Waitrose Essential Frozen Pollock Fillets}
- 1 lemon
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Black Pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Put all the veg into a large roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Throw in the fresh thyme, season well and roast in the hot oven for around 50 minutes or until everything is soft, golden and cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, tear off a large piece of foil and fold it double. Place this in a second roasting tin with the sides hanging over the edge. Slice the lemon and arrange in the centre of the tray. Lay the fish directly on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and add a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold the foil over and seal the edges to create a neat parcel before baking in the oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on the type and thickness of your fillets.
3. Follow the packet instructions to prepare the Cauli Rice, either in the microwave or by dry frying in a preheated pan.
4. When everything is ready, combine the roasted vegetables with the Cauli Rice. Add the majority of the chopped basil and flat-leaf parsley, reserving a small amount for garnish. Season well before laying the fish on top and finishing with a final flourish of chopped herbs.
You can buy Cauli Rice in over 1000 major UK supermarkets and smaller stores. All four flavours are also available via their online shop.
Love Audrey xxx
P.S. I wasn’t compensated for this post, I just really like playing with food.
