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I find myself often wondering and planning my meals for the next day, week, and even sometimes, the following week. Even though I am usually only cooking for myself, I like to know what I am going to have for lunch and dinner ahead of time. Part of the reason is to keep my diet on track and the other part is just my annoying need to plan everything. While cleaning out the fridge the other day, I found a spare head of cauliflower. While racking my brain for cauliflower dishes, I finally decided on making a healthy version of fried rice, without the rice! This dish also follows the theme for my blog this week, reinventing dishes to make healthier ones. Now I can enjoy my fried rice and still have a piece of chocolate after!
Recipe
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- ½ head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces shrimp peeled, deveined
- 1 medium carrots chopped
- ⅓ cup peas
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2 eggs whisked
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into quarters. Grate cauliflower using grater or food processor until coarse.
- Heat wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute.
- Add carrots and peas and cook for 1 minute. Add the grated cauliflower and season with tamari and coconut aminos, mixing until the ingredients are incorporated. Cook until the cauliflower has softened, about 3 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the wok or pan. Pour the beaten eggs in the center and cook as if you would scramble eggs, stirring frequently. When the eggs are halfway cooked, stir together with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
One of the benefits of having a client who is Paleo, gluten-free, and allergic to almost everything out there, is that you learn to use vegetables in ways you would never think of. Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables. You can manipulate to substitute carbohydrates and make everything from calzones to tortillas to fried rice. By using the proper seasonings and adding other common ingredients found in fried rice, you can successfully replicate the dish without the grain (and you won't miss it either!)
To make the cauliflower not only resemble rice in appearance, but also in taste, you want to grind it to a coarse texture. The best method of achieving this texture is by using a robot coupe.
The method for cooking cauliflower fried rice is similar to how you would regular fried rice. Cook all of the other ingredients, followed by the cauliflower and then the egg. When cooking the egg, crack and whisk in the center of the hot pan. As the eggs begin to scramble, start to mix it with the other ingredients. This is an efficient way to incorporate the eggs with the fried rice without having large clumps of the egg. Season the rice with salt, pepper, and soy sauce, and mix until well combined.
The cauliflower may be softer than rice but the flavors are very similar. This dish can easily be substituted with whatever ingredients you have such as beef, pork, chicken, mushrooms, green beans, and even pineapple for a sweeter twist. Healthy cauliflower fried rice here I come!
For more Asian inspiration check out this chili basil tofu stir fry!
Karen @ Baking In A Tornado says
What an imaginative use of Cauliflower. I can't wait to try this for my family. I bet the kids will eat it. Sharing this post!
cma0425 says
Thank you! A great way to feed vegetables to kids!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
I LOVE this dish! Fried rice means that I have to first have 'cooked' rice. This is perfect!!
cma0425 says
Yup saves you a step!
CTGirl74 says
I'm a weight loss surgery patient and I'm wondering if this recipe can be scaled down simply by halving the ingredients. My husband wouldn't touch something like this (he's a burger-and-dogs guy) so it would be only myself eating it and I can only eat about a quarter cup at a time. As an alternative, would it freeze well?
cma0425 says
You can definitely scale down the recipe. I don't think this would freeze very well; I feel like the flavors would diminish and the quality of the cauliflower would not uphold in the freezer.
CTGirl74 says
Thanks!
Tina the Eater says
What are coconut aminos?
cma0425 says
It's a soy-free seasoning sauce that's gluten-free and perfect for substituting soy sauce in Asian dishes for people on Paleo, gluten-free diets. If you have a hard time finding it, feel free to use tamari or soy sauce if you're not a gluten-free diet
Islandbreeze96815 says
They make Gluten free soy sauce. I use it all the time. And they make low sodium soy sauce. Now if only they would make Gluten free low sodium soy sauce
Cherry on My Sundae says
Thanks for letting me know! Haha if only!