Mock Fried Rice

Carbs and I are on a break at the moment. In the meantime, cauliflower has taken on a bigger role in my life. I think I’m ready to go steady…

cauliflower-fried-rice

I’m amazed by what you can do with cauliflower. I’ve been skeptical for quite a while, but now I’m a believer…

Did you know you can “rice” cauliflower? If you pulse the florets in a food processor or grate a head of cauliflower on a cheese grater, you end up with tiny “grains” that can replace rice in many recipes.

riced-cauliflower

You can also smash it into “mashed potatoes”, make pizza crust, and even tater tots. Crazy, right? Obviously none of this tastes anywhere near as good as the real thing, but can be a good low carb substitute if you’re craving something starchy.

The cauliflower absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients in this dish, so while you don’t feel like you’re eating rice, you definitely don’t feel like you’re eating cauliflower. I don’t even like the taste of cauliflower (or the funky smell), but I can’t stop eating this fried rice. And just like the real deal, it tastes even better cold the next day.

If you’ve also broken up with carbs recently, let this faux fried rice help you through the hard times.

mock-fried-rice

Mock Fried Rice

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

One head of cauliflower yields about 3 cups of “rice.”

Author: Kerry

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, leaves trimmed and cut in half
1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups frozen peas and carrots (or any mixed vegetables), thawed
¼ cup soy sauce or tamari (gluten free soy sauce alternative)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 large eggs, beaten
Salt to taste

Instructions

To rice the cauliflower: 1) chop into florets and pulse in a food processor until fine or 2) hold each half of the cauliflower by the core and grate with a box grater. Discard the core.
Place riced cauliflower in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent.
Add the cauliflower, veggies, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes to soften the cauliflower.
Push cauliflower mixture to one side of the pan. Add eggs to empty side of pan and scramble, gently breaking up with a wooden spoon.
Once the eggs have set, combine with “rice.”
Salt to taste, if desired (you won’t need much because of the soy sauce). Serve warm.