The single best thing to happen to me during Whole30 is cauliflower rice (well, that and re-confirming that I am not in fact an alcoholic). Seriously though, where has cauliflower rice been all my life?!
I’m not a big rice fan… If I’m eating Indian it’s paired with naan bread, Chinese (or any other Asian cuisine) it’s noodles. And much to my mother’s displeasure if I’m eating her beef stroganoff I require a baked potato instead of rice like everyone else at the table (sorry and thank you). Needless to say I wasn’t worried about giving rice up for 30 days, nor was I desperate to find a replacement. However, I was keen to find ways to beef up my dishes. Buying grass fed, pasture raised meat is priceeeeey, so to ensure we’re full after every meal I’ve needed to be resourceful with our veggies. Enter cauliflower rice. Layer it on the bottom of your burrito bowl, use it to mop up Thai green curry, or like tonight, rustle up some “egg fried rice” to accompany your stir fry.
If you are a rice lover this is a great low-carb alternative in both texture and flavor. If you’re not then it’s just a great way to consume a delicious vegetable. I happen to love cauliflower in essentially every capacity, so I guess I am biased.
Oh, I almost forgot the best part. It’s both super cheap and quite possibly the easiest vegetable dish to prepare. Trader Joes sells frozen cauliflower rice which requires you to dump it in a frying pan / wok, stir for 4-5 minutes, then eat. It’s perfect for when you’re in a rush and you literally can’t screw it up.
Rice, you’re officially on the bench.
Pork Stir Fry with “Egg Fried Rice”
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bag Trader Joes frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 cup frozen peas, cooked
- 2 boneless pork chops, sliced into strips
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 2 bok choi, chopped
- 1 red onion, sliced into strips
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 small bag beansprouts
- 1 cup salted cashews
- 1 egg
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp garlic & chili paste
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- salt & pepper
METHOD
Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a wok. Add in onion & garlic and cook over a medium heat until soft & aromatic. About 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
Add another tbsp sesame oil to the wok and heat on high until oil is very hot. Throw in your pork – it’s going to sizzle. Shake the pork around the wok until golden on all sides. No more than 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan.
Add all your veggies, ginger, chili paste, vinegar and coconut aminos. Stir fry on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. You want your veggies to still have some crunch. Put your pork back in the pan and mix in your cashews.
While your veggies are cooking, in another pan heat up your frozen cauliflower rice. After about 5 minutes make a well in the middle and crack your egg in it. Immediately start to scramble the egg among your cauliflower until it resembles the side dish you get from a Chinese restaurant. Add your cooked peas, salt & pepper.
Top your egg fried rice with your stir fry and be baffled by the fact you’re eating cauliflower, not carbs! Ok, there are carbohydrates in cauliflower, but’s still considered low carb and far better than consuming anything starchy!
epicuriousbrit 