Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps With Spicy Almond Sauce

Cauliflower - a veggie that in the past was dismayed and discarded for it's plain appearance and bland taste profile - is poised to make a run at being the Kale of 2015.

What cauliflower lacks in taste it more than makes up for in versatility. Roast a whole head with a few spices (a la Najib's Special at Nuba), use it instead of potatoes in a mashed cauliflower recipe, melt some cheese on top to make cauliflower nachos, or chop up into tiny pieces as a replacement for rice. The options are really endless, and your creativity (and health) will be rewarded. 

And although cauliflower doesn't have the vibrant colours of some other veggies, it still packs a solid health punch. It belongs to the Brassica family of foods (along with it's more popular counterpart, broccoli). 

It is rich in nutrients such as Vitamin C, B-vitamins, Vitamin K and minerals including calcium, magnesium and zinc. It also contains the sterol indole-3-carbinol, which helps metabolize estrogen to protect against cancer, as well as other cancer-protective phytonutrients such as sulforaphane.

Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps With Spicy Almond Sauce

This recipe uses cauliflower in place of rice. It is simple to do, and basically involves chopping the raw cauliflower into fine rice size bits in a food processor, and then sautéing in a pan with other veggies.

For more instructions on how to make cauliflower 'rice' visit this link:  
http://www.everydaymaven.com/2013/how-to-make-cauliflower-rice/

Cauliflower 'Rice'

The spicy sauce is also super easy to make. I used almond butter, but you can use peanut or other nut butters if you prefer. Then simply mix with a few squirts of sriracha, lime juice, a splash of soy sauce and some sweet chili sauce, and adjust ingredients to taste.

For this recipe I used the veggies that I had on hand - garlic, onion, mushroom, zucchini, kale. But you can really use anything you'd like as a filling!

Ingredients

Filling

• Cauliflower 'rice' (1/2 head)
• 3 cloves garlic
• Small onion
• Half a zucchini
• Handful mushrooms
• Chopped kale
• Shredded carrot (for garnish)
• Cilantro (for garnish)
• Coconut oil (for cooking)

Spicy Sauce

• Almond butter
• Sriracha
• Soy Sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Lime juice

Instructions

1. Heat pan with coconut oil, and add all veggies except cauliflower. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add a squirt of sriracha, a splash of soy sauce, and a squeeze of lime juice
3. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 more minutes
4. As the filling is cooking, mix all ingredients for spicy sauce in a bowl. Adjust ingredients to taste.
5. Serve the filling in a lettuce wrap, topped with shredded carrot, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and a dollop of spicy sauce. Optional - sprinkle with chopped peanuts/cashews
6. Enjoy!