Couscous is one of those easy back pocket starches that is perfect for last-minute dinners. It takes five minutes to cook and is always super satisfying when served alongside a chicken tagine. Luckily, it is equally hands-off and lightning-fast to do a grain-free version using cauliflower!
Simply pulse the florets in a food processor to create a crumbly couscous-like texture. You can also find frozen riced cauliflower now in most supermarkets, but I promise it does not take much time to make your own.
In this recipe, I use a turmeric hack to get the saffron hue of couscous or yellow rice pilafs, without having to shell out the cash for those rare threads. If pine nuts are too rich for your blood too, you can swap slivered almonds or chopped cashews. Really any nut or dried fruit works well here — many varieties are staples of Moroccan cooking.
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Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
1 head cauliflower, cored, broken into small florets
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons golden raisins, plumped in warm water for 10 minutes
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
Steps
- Place cauliflower florets into a food processor. Pulse several times until the cauliflower looks like a coarse meal, resembling traditional couscous.
- Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with a thin layer of water. Add the salt, turmeric and zest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cauliflower couscous to the pot, arranging in an even layer. Return to a simmer, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover the pan and steam for five minutes. Remove from heat and cool uncovered. Discard the zest.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the golden raisins, pine nuts and mint. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
