Paleoats: Grain-Free Cauliflower Oatmeal

Imagine with me for a second: it’s a cold, rainy morning. You get out of bed, put your slippers on, and shuffle into the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. Your stomach rumbles a bit. There’s a slight chill in the air. You seek the comfort of something warm and sweet. Suddenly, the craving kicks in: oatmeal.

Sounds pretty good, right? Well, what if you can’t have oats? Then what? An increasing number of people are following a Paleolithic or other type of grain-free diet, be it for health or personal reasons. For example, I’m currently on a restrictive anti-candida diet that allows no gluten (many oats are grown in wheat fields — I make sure to buy certified gluten-free oats when I do!), and very minimal grains, only about 1/4 cup per meal. I don’t know about you, but I can’t just eat a measly 1/4 cup of oatmeal! Enter cauliflower…

I’ve used cauliflower as a clean “cheat” in recipes before, like my Grain-Free Garlic Cilantro Lime Rice. However, this recipe transforms cauliflower into a creamy, comforting, wholesome breakfast time meal in just a few easy steps (and with a fraction of the calories), so load up your bowl and eat up!

You can also use maple syrup (~2 tablespoons) in this recipe instead of stevia. I can’t have any type of sugar on my diet, so the maple syrup in the photo is just for show! I got it from a small farm during a recent trip to Vermont, called Sugarbush, and it’s the best I’ve ever had! You can order it online, here. I’m not being paid to promote them, it’s just so good I can’t let you miss out!

Paleoats: Grain-Free Cauliflower Oatmeal (serves 1-2)
grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, casein-free, soy-free, sugar-free, nut-free, Paleo

• 1 cup cauliflower, riced
• 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• stevia, to taste (I used about 30 drops)
• 1 egg

1. Rice your cauliflower in a food processor or with a fine grater.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for about two minutes. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and cook for another minute more.
3. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add the flaxseed and stevia, simmering 2-3 minutes more.
4. Remove from heat. Whisk in egg, continuously, until the mixture thickens, about a minute. There should be enough heat in the pan to cook the egg. Add in more stevia if needed and serve.

I hope you enjoy this grain-free “oatmeal” recipe. Top it with whatever you desire: cinnamon, unsweetened shredded coconut, and nuts are all great additions. It might not be real oats, but the texture and sweetness of the dish really hits the spot when you can’t have the real thing! What’s your favorite oatmeal topping? Let me know in the comments below!

This post is part of the following blog linkups: Whole Food Fridays