Cheesy Cauliflower "Grits" with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Grilled Pork

Look no further!!!  You NEED to make this for dinner this week.  My family is not a fan of grits, but they devoured these cauliflower grits!!  

I wanted to make something grain-free, but not dairy-free.  My workouts had not been as intense for that week, so the goal was a low-carb meal.  This dish was PERFECTION.  

Dairy is not something that I regularly have in my diet.  It falls in the "moderation" category because of it's high fat content.  Both carbs and fat play a very important role.  They become a problem when not balanced out properly.  Remember when the Paleo Diet was the craze?  Google "gaining weight on paleo diet", and you'll find hundreds of results about this.  First, let me say that I do agree with the Paleo Diet, but I do not think it is necessary for everyone.  I love Paleo because it focuses on whole foods, and for individuals with certain autoimmune diseases, the Paleo Diet plays a very important role in their lives.  But WHY were so many people gaining weight on the Paleo Diet when it was supposed to be this mega healthy way of eating?!  Because they thought they could eat anything that they wanted as long as it was "Paleo".  And so the diets of endless amounts of bacon, avocado, nuts, and greasy burgers started. It was fat, on fat, on fat for every meal, and so.... people gained weight.   

In order to achieve certain results, there must be some kind of balance.  And that is why I track my macros.  Tracking macros is not necessary for everyone.  You can practice portion control without this method, but it is the most accurate.  

This meal was delicious.  It was healthy.  But it was not balanced.  With the cauliflower grits at 6 grams of carbs per serving, it absolutely achieved its goal of being low-carb, but at 15 grams of fat per serving, I had to make sure the rest of my meals for the day were very low in fat, especially since I had 2 servings of this cheesy deliciousness. 

I'll admit that I was lazy with the pork tenderloin and bought a marinated peppered pork, but you can easily make this tasty pork rub 

So get your grocery list started.  You NEED to make this.  It may be my favorite recipe to date!!

 Cheesy Cauliflower "Grits" with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Grilled Pork

For the "grits":

1 large heads of cauliflower, cut into pieces (It should be about 4-5 cups grated) 

3/4 cups full fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen)

1/2 chicken broth

1 Tablespoons butter 

4 ounce pepper jack cheese, shredded

Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the tomatillo sauce:

1.25 pounds tomatillos, husked and washed 

1 poblano pepper

3 garlic cloves, leave them whole 

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Handful of cilantro

juice from 1 lime 

1 teaspoon sea salt

For the Pork:

1.25 pounds pork tenderloin

Method:

I doubled the cauliflower grits recipe and used a pre-marinated pepper pork tenderloin.  If you have plain pork, use this rub.  

Pull out your handy food processor to prepare the cauliflower.  If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the cauliflower into small pieces to resemble rice, but the food processor makes it so much easier!!!  Place cauliflower pieces in food processor, and give it a few pulses until chopped into small rice-sized pieces.  

Spray a large saute pan with cooking spray and heat on stovetop over low-medium heat.  Add cauliflower and chicken broth.  Cook until liquid is absorbed and cauliflower begins to soften, stirring every couple minutes.  Add butter and HALF of the coconut milk.  Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to pulse the cauliflower mixture.  You want to pulse it enough to where its still grainy (to resemble the texture of grits).  If you pulse too much, it will turn to mashed cauliflower.  Once you have it at the right texture, add the cheese and stir until melted.  Slowly add the rest of the coconut milk until the grits are creamy and the right consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Add tomatillos, garlic, and poblano pepper to a baking sheet.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat.  Roast until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  Once the vegetables have cooled, remove the seeds from the poblano pepper, and squeeze the garlic from skin.  Add the tomatillos, garlic, pepper, , cilantro, sea salt, and lime to your food processor or blender and mix.  Add more salt or lime as needed.

Preheat grill to high heat.  Place marinated pork, or pork with rub, on direct heat.  Cook each side for approximately 10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 140 - 150 degrees.  Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.  

To plate this dish, add sliced pork on top of bed of cauliflower "grits" and top with tomatillo sauce.  I hope y'all enjoy this meal as much as I did!!