Sesame Pineapple Cauliflower & Rice

One of the first things any new vegan must learn is the beauty of food substitutions. If you love tacos, which I do, then you have to get on board the bean or tofu train to replace that meat. If you love burgers which, again, I DO, then beans and lentils will become staples in your pantry. The same is true for all kinds of dishes that include animal products.

But thanks to the pervasiveness of Facebook, I’ve found another great substitute in certain meat dishes. Cauliflower.

Now before you scrunch your face up and making gagging puke noises, hear me out. Cauliflower is a sturdy beast. It is super filling for how few calories it has (25 calories per 100 grams or 150 calories for a medium sized head), but it is also an amazing source of vitamins C, K and B6. Oh, and did I mention how it’s mild flavor makes it perfect in all kinds of dishes. In fact, don’t be surprised to see our cauliflower buffalo “wings” or the cauliflower and chickpea curry that’s in constant rotation in our house when the weather turns cold…which it now has.

So I came across a Sticky Pineapple Cauliflower recipe on Chocolate Covered Katie and I wanted to try it out so bad but before I had the chance, the hubs beat me to it! I was (not so secretly) pleased about it because he’s much better at adhering to set recipes than I am, and he’s much better at the whole presentation aspect which makes for better pictures.

Since he followed her recipe to the letter, minus serving it inside the pineapple because she must have wicked knife skills to achieve that, there’s no point rehashing the recipe here. Check out Katie’s link above.

I’ll just let you in on the differences which is really just the added turmeric to the rice. It gives the rice that vibrant color and a smoky flavor that just adds a bit of depth to plain old rice, plus it’s rich in manganese, iron and vitamin B6!

So, next time someone razzes you about your vegan diet being filled with “rabbit food” whip out this dish and shut them up quickly! In fairness, we did have a small salad beforehand because:

A.) Salad is delicious
B.) Salad is filling
C.) Salad is a low calorie way to prevent overeating…if you have that problem

Or, if you’re feeling proud because you’re eating so healthy, feel free to add a glass of white wine or your favorite cocktail to the meal!