Mexican Cauliflower Rice Bowls

Bowls are a super easy way to get in some protein, veggies, and healthy fats. Especially when you’re doing a Whole 30. They’re super easy to meal-prep one day and keep using throughout the week, too. You can switch up your toppings or proteins to help prevent it from feeling monotonous. Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies. It’s super versatile and really low calorie, so I love finding new ways to cook it. In the past, I’ve usually made cauliflower rice to accompany an asian-inspired dish. I had a craving for some Mexican food (Tex-Mex is a food group in Texas, for reals) last week, so I wanted to add some spice to the cauliflower rice. What I ended up with were these Mexican Cauliflower Rice Bowls. They are easy, delicious, and Whole 30 approved.

First things first, you can totally rice your own cauliflower. I’ll include those directions below. BUT, you can also make your life a little easier. It’s inevitable that you’re cooking and meal prepping a lot on the Whole 30, so I’m all about time savers. Plus, making your own cauliflower rice can get messy because that stuff flies around every where. To save time, and a potential mess, head your happy self to Trader Joe’s. In the fridge section near the salads you can find rice cauliflower. It’s also available in the frozen section. The frozen one tends to keep flavor better, too. Plus, it doesn’t expire so if you don’t end up using it all it’s nice that it keeps longer.

For the fajita seasoning, I buy Whole 30 approved Riega Organics (you can buy easily here). I find it at Whole Foods and usually stock up on those and the taco seasoning when I find them to keep on hand. You can also easily make your own. I found this recipe online that looks similar to the Riega Organic one.

The recipe for this delicious, easy meal is below.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Mexican cauliflower rice-

• 4 cups of cauliflower crumbles
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 jalepeño, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• salt+pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the chicken-

• 1 pound of chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt + pepper

For the Fajita Veggies-

• 1 onion, cut into slices
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
• 1 yellow/green bell pepper, cut into slices
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Fajita seasoning

Toppings- guac, pico, additional cilantro, salsa, extra lime juice

DIRECTIONS:

*To rice your own cauliflower: remove the core and chop your cauliflower into florets (or little pieces). Then, place them in a food processor or blender in small batches and pulse until the cauliflower is small and has a rice-like texture. If you over process it, it will become mushy. When it’s ‘riced’ clean it out of the processor or blender and set it aside.

1. Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add onions, tomatoes, and jalepeños. Sauté until they become tender. Then, add garlic and cauliflower. Cook until the cauliflower is tender (around 3 minutes).
2. Add in the tomato paste and spices. Stir until it is well mixed and heated throughout. Finally, add in cilantro and lime juice. Stir. Set aside.
3. In the same large skillet, heat more olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions and peppers. Cook until tender and then add fajita seasoning. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook Chicken on one side for one minute, then flip. Add a lid to the pan and cook for ten minutes. Then, turn off the heat and cook for an additional ten minutes.
5. Layer your cauliflower rice, fajita veggies, and chicken in a bowl. Then add toppings of choice. I added guacamole, more cilantro, and a mango-pico. Serve and enjoy!