One of the most effective ways to eat healthier is to be open to trying new things. Let’s face it, you’re unlikely to get yourself to better health if you hold on to all of the eating habits and the foods that are essentially speed bumps on the road to a better you.
Yup, the road to vitality and health is paved in whole foods (you know, fruits, vegetables, grains, lean protein).
So, when this months’ Recipe Redux challenge was all about using an ingredient I hadn’t used before, I was pretty pumped. I like to think I’m adventurous in the kitchen. Which brings me to …
Cauliflower
I know. Super creative, right? It’s trendy right now to replace rice with cauliflower. And pizza crust (I remain skeptical on this one). And lots of other interesting ways to eat more cauliflower.
I admit, I haven’t really gone too far down the road of creative cooking with this one, but having never used riced cauliflower, I say this is a legit interpretation of using an ingredient that is new to me.
There are so many reasons this one should become a staple in your weeknight healthy cooking repertoire. First, it’s a great use of whatever veggies you may have lying around. Just chop them up and toss them in. Short on time? Use a frozen vegetable stir fry blend in a pinch. Feeling like you can’t possibly get this on the table before everyone starts tearing through the cupboards scrounging for snacks? Trader Joes sells riced cauliflower in the frozen veggie section of many of their stores. Another reason to love all over this one? It’s a also a great backdrop for tossing in leftover chicken, pork, beef or shrimp. You could also use tofu instead for a great vegetarian meal. The biggest reason I love this one? The riced cauliflower! Not only does it pack a powerful nutritional punch and significantly reduce the calories, it was really satisfying. We didn’t miss the rice at all. Suddenly I’m starting to understand why there’s an emerging cauliflower shortage.
Now, about that cauliflower pizza crust….
{Recipe Redux} Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice
servings: 4 | time: about 45 minutes
ingredients:
2 TBSP. coconut oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 white mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, cut into small dice
2 medium stalks celery, sliced thin
1 red pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, cut into small dice
4 TBSP. tamari
2 TBSP. mirin
1 TBSP. rice vinegar
3 TBSP. water
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp dried hot Thai chili (or a few dashes sriracha)
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 cups riced cauliflower (about 1/2 of a large head)
1 pound cooked skinless chicken, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
handful of chopped cilantro
4 scallions, chopped
directions:
- heat the coconut oil in a large heavy frying pan or wok over medium high heat
- add the shallot and garlic and saute for 2 minutes
- add mushrooms, carrots, celery, red pepper, zucchini and riced cauliflower and saute over medium hear for 10 minutes, stirring frequently
- while that’s cooking place the tamari, mirin, rece vinegar, water, ground ginger, hot chili or sriracha, and sesame oil in a measuring cup, Whisk to combine. Set aside
- add the protein (chicken, pork, beef, tofu….whatever you’re using) to the pan and saute for a couple of minutes
- add the beaten egg and saute for 1 minute
- add the tamari mixture and saute until well incorporated. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and scallion
