Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable.  You can turn it into a ton of different things such as sauces, mashed potato substitute, and “rice”.  That’s a lot for one little vegetable!  I decided to use cauliflower to make a sort of couscous and it makes a really great, light summer meal that is fairly easy to put together.

Cauliflower Couscous

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add in your chopped almonds.  Stir frequently until the are lightly browned and just starting to smell fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

2. Chop your cauliflower into florets, trying to leave as much of the stem behind as you can.  Put the florets into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until the cauliflower is finely chopped and looks like couscous.  Make sure not to pulverize it , you want it to have some texture

3. Using the same skillet from your almonds, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add in your cauliflower couscous.  Cook the couscous for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat.  Add in all your spices, the lemon juice and zest, and the toasted almonds.  Stir to combine and let the couscous sit for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

This is a really versatile recipe.  You can use whatever spices you feel like adding to the couscous.  You can use walnuts or cashews instead of almonds and you could even add meat to the dish.  Get creative and enjoy using cauliflower in a new and fun way!