CAULIFLOWER FRIED RICE
Fried rice is still one of my favorite “cheat” meals because it’s relatively easy to make gluten-free, but I was so pleased when I finally perfected a Paleo, grain-free fried “rice.” This one uses cauliflower instead of rice, and coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, but the most important ingredient is the same, and that’s butter, which helps you get those delicious toasty bites of rice, or in our case, cauliflower. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1½ tablespoons sesame oil
1 to 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
¼ cup diced carrots
¼ cup green peas (thawed if frozen)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 egg
1 to 2 tablespoons sliced scallions, for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
- In a food processor or blender, roughly chop the cauliflower florets. You want it to be the consistency of regular rice.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the sesame oil. Spread the riced cauliflower out in a single layer, and let it cook for about 2 minutes, and then stir it up and repeat several times, for a total of 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the butter, garlic, and ginger, and stir until well incorporated. Add the carrots, peas, red pepper flakes, and coconut aminos, and continue to stir.
- Make an opening in the center of the pan by moving everything to the edges. Crack the egg over the pan and scramble it quickly. Incorporate the scrambled egg into the fried rice.
- Continue to cook until the cauliflower starts getting crispy (feel free to add another half tablespoon or so of butter if you wish), another 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the scallions, season with pepper, and serve.
VARIATION 1 PLAIN CAULIFLOWER RICE: Sauté the riced cauliflower over medium heat in 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
VARIATION 2 DAIKON FRIED RICE: Use daikon root instead of cauliflower—chop it in the food processor the same way. Daikon has a slightly spicy radish flavor, so I like to use it in smaller amounts than the cauliflower. Or you could mix it up and use a bit of both.
