Salsa Verde Chicken with Turmeric Lime Cauliflower Rice

If you haven't tried cauliflower rice yet, this your time! It took me a while to make my own because let's be honest, I'm sort of lazy when it comes to certain meal prep options.  I thought no way in heck am I going to puree a cauliflower for 10 minutes just to get the base of a dish.  If you can't already tell, I'm definitely Ms. Efficient and try to spend the least time possible doing things to get the same end result.  When I finally found "riced" cauliflower ALREADY pureed (if you will) and ready to use at Whole Foods, I jumped for joy!  Now they also sell frozen riced cauliflower at many groceries stores, which is an even bigger win because you can store it in there for weeks before using it.  

 This "rice" is made with turmeric which contains an anti-inflammatory compound that has been found to not only reduce inflammation, but has also been found to potentially reduce symptoms of depression, boost skin health, and may also help to kill cancer cells.  In addition to these health benefits, it has the brightest orange color making this dish bright and colorful - and I mean, who doesn't love to eat food that's both pretty AND nutritionally beneficial? 

Both fresh and frozen cauliflower rice work fine in this recipe and if you're way cooler than I am and would prefer to "rice" you own, I bow down to you! This is the perfect side dish for any Mexican meal in place of your average fried rice as it's much lower in carbs but still full of flavor! It's also very much a crowd pleaser!

Dairy free, gluten free, grain free, Paleo, Whole 30

Ingredients

Turmeric Lime Cauliflower Rice:

·      ½ an onion, diced

·      1 tbsp olive oil

·      1-2 tsp or cloves minced garlic

·      12 oz bag of frozen riced cauliflower, or fresh

·      Juice and zest from 1 lime

·      ¾ tsp garlic powder

·      1 tsp turmeric

·      ¼ tsp black pepper

·      ¼ tsp pink sea salt

·      Cilantro

·      Green onion (if desired)

Salsa verde chicken:

·      1 lb organic chicken breast

·      ¾ cup salsa verde

·      ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium preferred)

Directions

1.     In a crockpot, place chicken breasts on the bottom and top with salsa verde & broth of choice

2.     Cook chicken on low for 4 hours

3.     Let chicken cool and drain excess liquid (I like to reserve this and add some of it back in after shredding)

4.     Shred chicken and add back in any liquid you wish

5.     In a large sauté pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, and onion

6.     Cook until onion is translucent

7.     Add in bag of frozen cauliflower and continue to mix until cauliflower is almost entirely defrosted

8.     Add juice and zest of 1 lime, garlic powder, turmeric, salt & pepper

9.     Mix to combine and cook on medium heat until cauliflower is cooked

10. Top with a handful of cilantro

11. Assemble bowl with salsa verde chicken, cauliflower rice, and roasted green beans

12. Top with sliced green onion and cilantro

13. Enjoy!