Everybody loves fast food burritos bowls, right? But what do you do when you can’t eat rice or beans? What about those tomatoes that I can’t have either? What’s left?
I stumbled upon a meal that my entire family absolutely LOVED that gives it’s fast food counterpart a run for its money. Want to know the secret? Cauliflower rice and a great seasoning mix.
Using cauliflower rice as the base, add taco seasoned ground meat (beef or chicken), top with guacamole and/or salsa and tomatoes. Then voilà, awesome burrito bowls!
Don’t let cauliflower rice scare you off. If you make your own, it’s messy, but super easy. What are the essential tools for making cauliflower rice? A good food processor! Making cauliflower rice any other way is just cumbersome, but if you’re intimidated by making your own cauliflower rice, you can buy it in the freezer section at both Trader Joe’s and Walmart.
So, if you know someone who is avoiding nightshades, you might think Tex Mex is out of the question. It actually isn’t. It is possible to enjoy a great burrito bowl without nightshades. So, how is that accomplished? Beyond the “rice”, it comes down to a good seasoning for the meat. Below are two of my favorite taco seasoning recipes, one that avoids nightshades entirely. My family loves both of these, so you could serve either one to your friends or family that come to visit for a meal. And, they’re not difficult. I keep them on hand in my spice cabinet for a quick weekday meal.
And last, but definitely not least, is the guacamole! My boys would definitely say this is the best part. If you haven’t learned how to make a great guacamole, it’s about as easy as the cauliflower rice. The secret at our house is to have ripe avocados on hand all the time and use the food processor to make it extra creamy. Then add the garlic, limes and salt to taste.
If you can have nightshades, adding salsa and chopped tomatoes on top make it amazing too! But I have been amazed at how much I could enjoy some of my favorite foods still without adding salsa and/or tomatoes. It’s all yummy!
One last secret tip is that you can easily add in cubed roasted zucchini to add vegetables to this dish. Zucchini can be cubed and roasted at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then tossed into the burrito bowls with other ingredients or stirred into the taco meat.
So, if you’re looking for a meal that the whole family will eat and tastes great, while eliminating the rice and beans (with tons of extra calories), this might be worth trying to add to your weekday meal idea board. Enjoy!
AIP Taco Seasoning (no nightshades)
- 4 tsp cilantro (can substitute parsley, if desired)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp organic oregano
- 1 tsp organic turmeric
Mix all ingredients together and store in a sealed jar or container in a cool, dry place. Add 1 Tbsp to each pound of cooked ground beef or chicken.
Paleo Taco Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients together and store in a sealed jar or container in a cool, dry place. Add 1–2 Tbsp to each pound of cooked ground beef.