Heat oil over medium in a large skillet. Add yellow onion and minced garlic; saute for 7-8 minutes or until the onion begins to soften and become translucent.
Mix in the tomato paste, cumin, and chili powder - the ingredients will form a thick paste-like consistency while mixing, but will combine and loosen up as they heat.
Add in the riced cauliflower and tomatoes. (The canned tomatoes do not need to be drained. Add some of the juice right along with the tomatoes. I used about 1⁄2 a can and about 1⁄2 of the juice.)
Stir and saute the cauliflower mixture over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes longer. At this point, the cauliflower should be tender, but still have a bit of crisp. The rice will have absorbed the colors and flavors of the tomato paste and spices.
Remove from heat. Squeeze a lime over the cauliflower rice and garnish with chopped cilantro and jalapeno.
Notes
You can add additional chili powder or saute a finely diced jalapeno with the onion and garlic to make a spicier dish. Omit the chili powder and substitute regular diced tomatoes for the Rotel to make a very mild rice.
To make your own riced cauliflower, cut apart a head of cauliflower into smaller florets. Working in batches, place the florets in the bowl of a food processor with the regular blade. Pulse several times until the cauliflower is in small, even pieces (do not over chop the cauliflower or it will become a puree). If you’d like to substitute frozen riced cauliflower, I would recommend thawing it completely and then squeezing any excess water/moisture from it before proceeding with the recipe.
Add a diced bell pepper or jalapeno into the pan with the onion and garlic during the initial saute for added flavor.
Don’t overcook the cauliflower. It takes about 5 minutes to cook to a perfect al dente consistency. If you overcook it, the cauliflower will become mushy and won’t hold its texture.