5 Creative Ways to Cook With Cauliflower

5 Creative Ways to Cook With Cauliflower Image via brit.co It can take on so many flavors, and pairs well with a diverse range of complimentary foods. It can also be served as a main dish or as a side. Cauliflower is an incredible blank culinary canvas. You can use cauliflower in its natural form or you can use it as a topping or a base to create some pretty delicious treats. You can steam or blanch it to keep its flavors intact or roast and sauté it to bring out its sweetness. From rice, to pizza, and even cake, the possibilities with cauliflower are seriously endless. Check out some of my favorite ways to creatively cook with cauliflower below and find your own cauli-inspiration! Cauliflower Crust Pizza Image via brit.co This is one of my favorite recipes right now as I make it at least every other week.   I am an avid pizza lover (I mean who isn’t?) but I am not a lover of all of the fat and calories hiding in those cheesy delicious pies. Instead of giving in to your pizza temptations you can make this seriously easy and delicious low-carb alternative. You simply make the crust using riced cauliflower, and you can even make several at a time and freeze them for later use. Top the crust with whatever you would like and the best part is that you don’t have to feel guilty about loading up on cheese! This is all you need for your crust: a small (emphasis on small!) head of cauliflower, one egg, some mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper flakes. That’s it! Plus, whatever toppings you choose. Check out this awesome recipe courtesy of tastykitchen.com! Cauliflower Hot Pockets Image via brit.co YAS, this is so epic. Finally a healthy take on the Hot Pocket! These deliciously melty pockets are the adult version of everyone’s favorite childhood treat and they are practically guilt free. While the nostalgia of Hot Pockets may drive you to want to give in to the temptation of America’s quintessential microwave food, that desire will soon dissipate when you consider all of the icky ingredients that they contain (such as partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium stearoyl lactylate and methylcellulose). Well these pockets come with none of the incomprehensible additives but with a ton of cheesy goodness! You MUST give this recipe a try as soon as possible, via theironyou.com. Cauliflower Ginger Fried Rice Image via brit.co One of my favorite ways to use cauliflower is simply in rice form. I like to make many variations of cauli-rice dishes but one of my favorites definitely has to be fried rice. The beauty is that the cauliflower actually resembles the taste of rice so you’ll actually feel as though you are eating fried rice. While conventional takeout inspired cauli-fried rice is never a let down, the ginger in this specific recipe kicks it up a notch. This rice has a delicious and complex flavor profile with lots of fresh ginger, onion, some soy sauce and a bit of heat from the Sriracha. And sure, you can mix a beaten egg into the mixture, but I like a fried egg on top better. Or, you can even do both. Up to you! Cauliflower Brownies Yes, you read that right! I am talking about chocolate brownies made with cauliflower! It may sound kooky but before you completely disregard veggies in your sweets, hear me out! These low carb brownies are surprisingly delicious and are the perfect excuse to sneak in some veggies even when you’re craving a little sweet treat. See for yourself with this recipe from ibreatheimhungry.com. Cauli Buffalo Bites With football season in full swing, it’s almost inevitable not to eat chicken wings on a weekly basis. As a self-proclaimed wing connoisseur, I was definitely hesitant when trying this vegetarian version but to my surprise it did not disappoint. The crispiness of the cauliflower blended with the flavorful kick from the hot sauce makes this an awesome way to get your hot wing cravings in for a minimal amount of calories. Ingredients: -1 head cauliflower; chopped into bitesize pieces - ½ cup brown rice flour - ½ cup water -Pinch of kosher salt -Pinch of granulated garlic powder -Non-stick spray For the sauce: -1 tsp Earth Balance butter substitute; melted - ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce Instructions: •Preheat oven to 450 °  F. •In a small bowl, combine brown rice flour, water, garlic powder and salt. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. •Dip cauliflower pieces in the batter until coated evenly, then place on a lightly greased, non-stick baking sheet. •Bake for about 10 minutes or until the batter hardens, then flip with a spatula and bake for another five minutes. •Whisk together Frank’s Red Hot sauce and Earth Balance butter substitute in a small bowl. •When the cauliflower is finished, take a plastic pastry brush and evenly brush each piece with the hot sauce mixture. •Bake coated cauliflower for an additional eight to 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is crispy, and sauce looks absorbed. •Remove from oven and let cauliflower bites set out for at least 20 minutes before serving.