Cauliflower is off the table due to a supply and demand crisis. Has our love of cauliflower gone too far? Rachel Bartholomeusz finds worthy substitutes for your cauliflower fixation.

Low-carb and paleo diets, and a particularly poor crop this season due to a cold snap, have caused a cauliflower crisis in the United States. Demand is far outstripping supply, and the shortage has seen prices for a head of cauliflower spike to more than A$15.

In the midst of an avo crisis here ourselves, we know their hardship, and have some tips for our American friends. Put down that cauliflower, here’s our guide to substituting your favourite substitute.

Cauliflower crust pizza

Substitute flour and water to make a pizza base. We know, it’s ingenious. You won’t even be able to taste the difference (as always, this is a lie).

Cauliflower rice

Substitute basmati, jasmine, long-grain, brown rice, aborio – the possibilities are endless. The benefits of rice without the inverted commas are that you won’t have to use a food processor to first make your ‘rice’, and it tastes really good. Thousand-year old civilizations cannot be wrong.

Cauliflower tortillas

Substitute wheat or corn tortillas. Your joy will be like that of the little girl on the Old El Paso ad when you realise that tortillas should be pliable, not soggy and prone to breaking in half before you’ve even got the toppings on.

Cauliflower tabouli

If you can’t get your hands on a cauliflower, you could try cracked wheat or burghul instead. Many cultures swear by it. Otherwise there’s always quinoa.

Cauliflower nachos

Instead of roasting thinly sliced cauliflowers in coconut oil to form chips, substitute corn chips. They’ve got crunch, and work surprisingly well as a vehicle to pick up that salsa.

Cauliflower and cheese

Don’t let a cauliflower shortage stop you making your favourite version of cauliflower mac and cheese. Simply replace the cauliflower with “mac”: if you’re going to cover the whole thing in cheese, you might as well go the whole hog.