Tag Archives: tomato sauce

Cauliflower Mexican Rice (Paleo, Vegan, Keto, Whole30)

Get a taste of Mexican restaurant at home with this yummy paleo and vegan Cauliflower Mexican Rice. It tastes like the real deal but it’s Whole30 and keto-friendly!

One of the things I judge a Mexican restaurant by is the rice that they serve on the side. When it’s done well, it’s perfectly cooked, fluffy, and flavored so deliciously with yummy spices. It goes so well with the main dish and my husband actually loves it even more than I do, and will often eat my share after he finishes his.

Cauliflower Mexican Rice Recipe

Because we are both such fans, I decided to recreate the dish at home with this Cauliflower Mexican Rice and I love the way it turned out. It has all the flavors of a restaurant style rice but it’s packed with veggies from the cauliflower and super low in carbs for those of you on the ketogenic diet.

Less That 20 Minutes!

This Cauliflower Mexican Rice recipe is actually much easier and simpler to make than real rice because cauliflower cooks so much faster. I got this on the table in less than 20 minutes and you really can’t beat that when you are looking for a quick and simple side dish on a busy weekday.

Wonderful Side Alongside Mexican Dishes

I think it goes well with any main dish, but I especially love it alongside some Salsa Verde Chicken, Chili Lime Instant Pot Short Ribs, and Instant Pot Barbacoa as the flavors complement with each other so perfectly. The cilantro and lime are totally optional and I actually don’t think they are added into Mexican rice at restaurants usually, but I think they brighten up the rice both visually and taste-wise so I always like to finish off with them for this recipe.

Hope you enjoy this delicious Cauliflower Mexican Rice as much as we did, and let me know what you served it with in the comments below if you end up making it!

Cauliflower Mexican Rice (Paleo, Vegan, Keto, Whole30)

Get a taste of Mexican restaurant at home with this yummy paleo and vegan Cauliflower Mexican Rice. It tastes like the real deal but it's Whole30 and keto-friendly!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 53kcal

Author Jean Choi

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 medium onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Optional: Cilantro and 1 tbsp lime juice for garnish

Instructions

Remove the leaves off the cauliflower and cut off the florets from the roots.
Use a cheese grater or a food processor with a grater attachment, and grate the cauliflower into the size of rice. Set aside.
Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add diced onion and cook stirring for 4-5 minutes until translucent.
Add garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower rice, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper, and stir together.
Add tomato sauce and sauté for about 5 minutes, while stirring frequently.
If using, add in cilantro and lime juice.
Serve warm.

Nutrition

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Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.

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Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole (Whole30 Compliant)

This easy Whole30 friendly and Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole is a perfect weeknight family dinner recipe, and it’s great for leftover as well! It’s a delicious twist on a childhood favorite.

I’ve been loving getting creative in the kitchen lately ever since I handed in my manuscript for my Korean Paleo cookbook, now that most of my energy isn’t spent on creating and perfecting recipes for the cookbook. Also, I’ve been eating SO MUCH Korean food during the cookbook writing process, so all-American dishes like this Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole is such a welcome change in the kitchen.

Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole Recipe

I don’t know if I can even describe this Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole in a way that’s accurate enough to justify how tasty it is. It’s basically sloppy joes in a casserole form (duh), baked with extra sauce to coat the spaghetti squash that it’s cooked with. The concept is so simple, but the flavors are so comforting and takes me back to my childhood home cooked meals.

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash

This recipe is pretty dang easy on its own, but becomes even easier if you own an Instant Pot. The first thing you are going to have to do is cook your spaghetti squash, and if you use the Instant Pot method, you don’t even have to cut the squash before cooking it. I love that because cutting a whole squash is always a pain in the butt involving a lot of arm muscles, the ones I don’t have. Time to fit in some arm workouts.

The rest of the steps are pretty straightforward, and you’ll glad to hear that the leftovers are delicious as well. I’ve tried reheating it in the oven and in the microwave, and they both tasted great and retained moisture well. It’s a great weeknight meal to feed a family, and if you have a busy week coming up, double up the recipe and cook it in a 9×13 baking dish to enjoy the leftovers for days!

Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole (Whole30 Compliant)

This easy Whole30 friendly and Paleo Sloppy Joe Casserole is a perfect weeknight family dinner recipe, and it's great for leftover as well! It's a delicious twist on a childhood favorite.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 334kcal

Author Jean Choi

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup paleo ketchup or your favorite Whole30 ketchup if on a sugar detox
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp sea salt
2 eggs whisked

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the squash is cooked through and the skin is soft when you press on it.
OR, use the Instant Pot method to cook the spaghetti squash: Place the steamer rack that came with the Instant Pot in the pot, and pour in 1 cup of water. Place the whole spaghetti squash, uncut, on the rack. Screw on the lid, make sure the pressure valve is closed, then cook for 20 minutes on manual. Release the pressure immediately and open the lid. Cut the squash in half.
Remove and discard the seeds, then transfer the threads of the spaghetti squash to an 10x10 baking dish.
Lower or preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add ground beef, onion, and garlic, and cook stirring until the beef is browned, about 5-7 minutes.
Drain the liquid from the skillet.
Add tomato sauce, ketchup, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and sea salt, and stir together. Remove from heat.
Pour the sloppy joes mixture over the spaghetti squash and stir together with a fork. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
Mix in whisked eggs until well combined.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.

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Squash Paleo Lasagna

Who else is craving comfort food?
MMMMM lasagna. Just because I can’t have gluten doesn’t mean I can’t eat some dang good lasagna. All it takes is some tasty sauce and good fillings.

Instead of using noodles, I used my most favoritest squash of all, the kabocha squash.

I grew up eating kabocha squash, and my mom would roast them for me for breakfast (and still do when I visit her). I used to be able to only find them in Asian grocery stores, but I’ve been seeing them more often at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s recently which makes me so happy. You can cook them like you cook butternut squash, but kabocha squash tastes so much better.

They are quite a b*tch to cut open though since the rind is so hard so use some arm muscles to get that sucker split in half.

You can scoop out the seeds with a spoon. They are really good if you want to save them and roast them to snack on.

The hardest part about this recipe is cutting the squash into thin slices. Make sure you have a sharp knife so you don’t hurt yourself. If you have a mandolin, that could work too.

What makes a good lasagna? I think it’s the sauce. I guess many people would say the cheese, but I really love a good meat sauce.

I added a bit of raw cheese to this but you can leave it out and it’ll still turn out delicious. If you want to learn about how to pick out good quality cheese, check out my last post!

The best part about making lasagna is the moment you take it out of the oven and it’s all hot and gooey and happy to see you. The excitement is overwhelming.

Just kidding. We both know the best part is when you are shoveling it in your mouth as soon as it’s cool enough for you to handle. Duh.

Did you know?
Kabocha squash has less than half the carbs of butternut squash for the same amount. It’s also a great source of beta-carotene which means it provides you with vitamin A. You’ll get a good amount of iron and vitamin C too!

Squash Paleo Lasagna

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

1/3-1/2 kabocha squash, depending on it size (other squash types will work), remove rind if you don't like the texture
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp butter
1 26- oz jar tomato sauce (no sugar added)
1 6- oz can black olives
Cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium high heat.
Once the butter starts sizzling, add garlic and onions and saute until they are soft and translucent.
Add in the beef and saute until the meat browns slightly.
Pour in the sauce, stir and heat until it starts bubbling.
Add in the sliced olives and turn down the heat to medium low.
Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes. then remove from heat.
Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, cut out thin slices of kabocha squash, about 1/8 inch thick.
In a 9x13 baking dish, spoon and spread out a little bit of the meat sauce.
Lay the kabocha slices in a single layer.
Sprinkle with cheese if using.
Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce.
Repeat steps 10-12 two more times.
Top off with some more cheese if using.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Take it out, let it cool a bit before serving!