A bright and easy holiday side dish, coming right up! This cauliflower rice pilaf hits all the right notes, with cranberries, pecans, sage, and white cooking wine. It is the perfect pairing to any main dish this holiday season.
I’ve teamed up with members of Holland House’s #HHCookingWineCo to create a custom holiday full-course meal plan and this side dish is one of five recipes on the menu.
Each recipe is designed to be quick and easy to prepare to ensure the holidays stay stress-free (at least in the kitchen anyway). Links to my fellow #HHCookingWineCo member recipes are listed at the end of this post. I want to thank Holland House Cooking Wines for sponsoring this post and bringing all five of us together.
Easy flavor is the name of the game this holiday season. Let’s face it, we tend to fall into a trap thinking big holiday dinners have to be an all day cooking event. This is particularly true if family and friends are coming over, and we want to impress them. It can be incredibly stressful at times.
Well the good news is that this doesn’t have to be the case at all. Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best, and it doesn’t take much to bring out the best flavors.
This Cauliflower Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecan is a prime example. A pat of butter, some garlic, and some chopped sage make it delicious and ridiculously easy. And a splash of Holland House White Cooking Wine, a light white-wine flavor, giving it depth and real pilaf flavor, without all the heavy carbs.
Best of all, with a few easy hacks this recipe takes only about 20 minutes, start to finish.
Fill Life with Flavor
Cooking wines can enhance the flavors of many keto recipes. It adds delicious depth and helps transform a regular side dish, such as this to another level. The alcohol evaporates during cooking, which helps concentrate the flavors, bringing out both the sweetness and the acidity.
Holland House Cooking Wines are made with hand-selected grapes and perfectly blended seasonings to make their flavors truly shine through. It’s a fabulous addition to make your healthier cauliflower rice pilaf taste like the real thing.
Stress Free Holiday Cooking
I promised you some tips on how to make your holiday meals less stressful. Trust me, this easy keto side dish will be something you can whip up in minutes if you follow my hacks.
You can literally have your roast beef or turkey out of the oven and resting while you make this.
Avail yourself with the pre-riced cauliflower option. Fresh or frozen, it doesn’t matter, as they both tend to cook just as quickly. And I don’t know of a single grocery store that doesn’t sell frozen cauliflower rice now. This saves you loads of time on both the chopping and the clean up.
Save yourself even more time by grabbing some pre-minced garlic. I love the little frozen cubes, but the pastes you find in the refrigerated section can work too.
Finally, use pre-chopped, pre-toasted nuts. Not only does this save time, but it saves you the grief of accidentally burning them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this when I am paying attention to other dishes. Nuts like pecans can toast incredibly quickly and burn very easily!
Need to feed more than 6 people? This recipe can easily be doubled. And the leftovers are fabulous.
Want more easy keto holiday recipes?
- The Best Keto Gravy
- Keto Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
- Keto Sausage Stuffing
- Keto Pumpkin Cream Pie
- Keto Turkey Pot Pie
Cauliflower Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/3 cup Holland House White Cooking Wine
- 16 ounces riced cauliflower fresh or frozen
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
- ¼ cup sugar-free dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and let melt. Once melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower rice and toss to coat in the butter wine sauce.
- Cover the pan and let cook until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, cranberries, and sage.
Dee says
I don’t see the list o the other recipes sponsored by Holland House?
Carolyn says
Yes, I am actually waiting for the PR agent to send me all the links. FYI, none of the others are low carb.
Sherry Corson says
Would dried sage work instead of fresh? Perhaps adding it with the wine to soften it?
Rachael Yerkes says
This is awesome! love that it’s keto friendly
Laura Reese says
I love to eat this way so this recipe is just what I am looking for. The rice is delicious too!
RES says
What could I use to substitute for the wine? I am in AA and alcohol is not something I allow in my home.
Carolyn says
Broth is fine!