A few months ago, I wrote about an appetizer, southwest Cauliflower Rice and since then, I’ve wanted to turn it into an actual main dish. This week, I finally decided to do it, and this. It is delicious! I added meat, beans, and an assortment of freshly prepared ingredients and you’ll get this fantastic combination of cold and hot tastes and textures. Sort of similar to what you get from tacos but in bowls.

IS IT SPICY?

The degree of heat in this recipe is determined by the level of spiciness in two components: diced tomatoes in canned form with green chilies (like Ro-tel) and spice powder. Unfortunately, when you mix these ingredients, certain brands are spicy while others are not. You may have to experiment to determine which brands can handle the level of heat you like.

FRESH OR FROZEN CAULIFLOWER RICE?

To make this recipe, you can use fresh home-cooked rice from cauliflower or store-bought rice. The two riced varieties cook quickly, and you won’t need to modify the recipe to accommodate the kind of cauliflower rice you choose to use.

TAKE THE TACO SEASONING SHORTCUT

The recipe below contains all the spices and herbs included in the recipe below. I use all my herbs and spices in homemade taco seasoning recipes. If you’re not blessed with an equipped spice cabinet, buy a packet from a store that contains taco seasoning instead of chili powder. Cumin, smoked paprika, oregano salt, and pepper are listed in the recipe.

OTHER TOPPING IDEAS

This recipe is so adaptable! If you don’t like any of the toppings I have used, Here are a few other suggestions:

Sour cream

Crushed tortilla chips

The pickled onions

Black olives

Green onions

Lime Crema

Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)

Sliced radish

INGREDIENTS

Two cloves of garlic ($0.16)

1TBSp olive oil ($0.16)

1/2 lb. ground beef ($2.50)

3 cups of riced cauliflower ($1.25)

1 10oz. container diced tomatoes and green chilies ($0.55)

1 15oz. Can black beans ($0.50)

1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)

1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)

One teaspoon ground cumin ($0.10)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ($0.05)

1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)

1/8 tsp pepper ($0.02)

2 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded ($0.38)

One avocado ($0.99)

One tomato ($0.46)

Finely diced 1/4 cup red onion ($0.10)

One handful fresh cilantro ($0.10)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the garlic into small pieces. Add garlic, olive oil, and beef in a huge pan and cook at medium-low temperature until the ground beef is cooked. If you’re using high-fat meat, eliminating any excess fat’s a good idea before proceeding to the following step.

Remove the black beans, then add them to the pan with diced tomatoes, green chilies (not draining), and chili powder. Cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir, and cook until the skillet is boiling.

Then, add the riced cauliflower to the pan (no need to defrost if it is frozen). Continue stirring and cooking on medium heat until the cauliflower becomes tender (about 5 minutes).

While the cauliflower and beef are cooking, chop the avocado, tomato, and red onion. Chop the cilantro roughly.

Then, top the cauliflower and beef mixture with shredded cheddar. Put a lid over the skillet and let it heat moderately for a few minutes or until the cheese melts.

When the cheese has melty, add the cheese with avocado, tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Serve immediately.