There was a benefit of going through our recent kitchen renovation that I wasn't expecting. It forced me out of my routine and, surprisingly, I kind of liked it!
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| Cauliflower fried "rice", with chicken, peas, and scrambled eggs, makes a great hot lunch |
I'm big on routine and I'm loyal to things I like; basically, I'm pretty cautious and unadventurous. Even when it comes to food, I stick to much of the same things. I generally eat the same things for breakfast and lunch (a bit less so when it comes to dinner but even that can be predictable) but when the kitchen was out of commission and I had to wing it, I was forced to mix it up. Instead of a big roasted sweet potato and veggies for lunch on repeat, I was eating a sandwich, or having a soup & salad, grabbing sushi, or digging into some Vietnamese spring rolls I picked up. I was at the Whole Foods prepared food buffet a lot but I still got variety and, overall, I nixed the old routine and ate different things.
It was good to change things up and I realized I didn't need to eat the same things all the time. In fact, it's fun to do otherwise! So I'm making a conscious effort to mix things up a little - particularly my lunch, which means eating something other than roasted sweet potatoes and veggies - at least 2-3 times a week. To that end, we come to this recent lunch I made for myself: cauliflower fried rice!
Okay...let's talk about this phenomenon of subbing carbs with non-carbs. Cauliflower has been out there - think mashed "potatoes" and pizza crust. While I love cauliflower and cook it (either steaming or roasting) often, I haven't been attracted to this idea of using it for fried rice and whatnot. Maybe to my mind, you don't mess with something like fried rice, which is a sacred comfort food to me. Plus, it sounded like a lot of work! I don't know about you but the whole idea of processing a big cauliflower before even getting down to making the dish isn't all that appealing.
So there were 2 reasons why I decided to make and try cauliflower fried rice after all. One, I discovered prepared riced cauliflower. You can now find it in the grocery freezer aisle, though you might have to dig around in a few stores (so far, I've had luck finding it at Whole Foods and only one other supermarket.) And knowing I have this shortcut is a huge motivation because even if I do take the time to make my own cauliflower rice by breaking it down in a food processor, it would likely be something I'd only do once.
Secondly, I was watching The Kitchen last weekend when I saw Katie Lee make this fried "rice". She started with ginger and garlic and that is exactly how I love to start my fried rice - I think the grated ginger totally makes it. The dish looked delicious and I saw how easy it would be with the prepared cauliflower so I was on a mission to find it and make the dish.
I'll finally cut to the chase. Not only does this look like "real" fried rice, it tastes like it. Is the cauliflower rice exactly like actual rice? No, it's not. It's a bit more moist and holds a bit of a crunch (though it's tender) than rice would but the flavors you associate with fried rice - in my case, the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil... - are all there and frankly, it is all very similar and familiar in your mouth. The fried rice was delicious! It made a great lunch and I can tell you that I will definitely be making cauliflower fried rice again and often. I simply used leftover rotisserie chicken this time and I have been craving shrimp fried rice so that's up next.
If you've been on the fence about trying cauliflower fried rice like me, pick up a bag at the supermarket and give it a try. This turned out to be a great food/ingredient discovery for me in 2017! There is definitely a beauty, and benefit, to mixing and shaking things up a bit.
I've always intended to post a recipe for fried rice but I realized I never got around to it. Maybe that's because, to me, fried rice is something you can really cook on the fly and it's almost never the same twice! I start with aromatics in the form of grated ginger, garlic, and the white parts of scallions, then build on with cooked rice, eggs (must have scrambled eggs!), and whatever fillings I have around.
It often seems like the more things you throw into a fried rice, the better! I love adding chicken, ham, beef, roast pork (any or all of that), plus some kind of vegetable. Frozen peas are the easiest and I love them but if you have time, finely chopped bits of green beans and asparagus tips add a great crunch in fried rice (as I first discovered from a restaurant). And for seasoning, it's as simple as soy sauce and sesame oil (which to me is like the savory equivalent of almond extract - I love it!).
This recipe from The Kitchen is a lot like that - very simple. I did scale down the amount of soy sauce and sesame oil in the dish; start low, then taste and adjust to your liking. Fried rice is flexible. Add what you like and season depending on the ingredients you add into your fried rice and your preference. Personally, I like a splash of Maggi for an extra boost of flavor.
You can make this exact fried rice using actual rice (it's basically how I do it) but now that I've had this cauliflower version, I'll be enjoying this version often. It's great to have an option of enjoying a classic comfort food in a more healthful way that doesn't feel like a big compromise. So I'm loading up!
And here's to happy and healthy eating in 2017! It's all about balance and joy and for me, I find a lot of joy in discovering healthy and tasty eats like this.
Update: My eleven year old had a taste of this rice and he couldn't believe it was made with cauliflower and there was no actual rice involved!
Recipe
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Adapted from Katie Lee via The Kitchen
- Approximately 4 servings -
Approximately 4 cups of cauliflower rice*
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 cup frozen peas (or frozen vegetable mix)
2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and green parts separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 scant tablespoon sesame oil
1 rounded cup cooked chicken, diced (I used rotisserie chicken; you can substitute with other proteins)
Maggi seasoning, optional
* Look for packaged bags of cauliflower rice or "riced" cauliflower in the frozen food aisle of your supermarket. In general, a bag will be 12 oz., or about 3-4 cups. I use an entire bag for this recipe - straight from frozen into the pan. If you can't find the prepped cauliflower and want to make your own, cut a stemmed cauliflower into chunks and process in a food processor into a coarse texture, resembling rice (don't over-process or it can turn mushy).
Heat a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the canola oil, then eggs, and quickly scramble. Transfer eggs to a plate and set nearby.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan. Add grated ginger and garlic as well as the white parts of the scallion, cooking, stirring around the pan, for about 1 minute. Add the cauliflower rice and spread evenly around the pan. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, then add peas and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil and scallion greens. Stir together for 1-2 minutes to incorporate. Add scrambled eggs back into the pan and stir together into the rice. Taste, and season with additional soy sauce, if needed (I like to add a splash or two of Maggi seasoning for additional flavor). Scoop into bowls, serve hot, and enjoy!
So there were 2 reasons why I decided to make and try cauliflower fried rice after all. One, I discovered prepared riced cauliflower. You can now find it in the grocery freezer aisle, though you might have to dig around in a few stores (so far, I've had luck finding it at Whole Foods and only one other supermarket.) And knowing I have this shortcut is a huge motivation because even if I do take the time to make my own cauliflower rice by breaking it down in a food processor, it would likely be something I'd only do once.
I've always intended to post a recipe for fried rice but I realized I never got around to it. Maybe that's because, to me, fried rice is something you can really cook on the fly and it's almost never the same twice! I start with aromatics in the form of grated ginger, garlic, and the white parts of scallions, then build on with cooked rice, eggs (must have scrambled eggs!), and whatever fillings I have around.
It often seems like the more things you throw into a fried rice, the better! I love adding chicken, ham, beef, roast pork (any or all of that), plus some kind of vegetable. Frozen peas are the easiest and I love them but if you have time, finely chopped bits of green beans and asparagus tips add a great crunch in fried rice (as I first discovered from a restaurant). And for seasoning, it's as simple as soy sauce and sesame oil (which to me is like the savory equivalent of almond extract - I love it!).
And here's to happy and healthy eating in 2017! It's all about balance and joy and for me, I find a lot of joy in discovering healthy and tasty eats like this.
Update: My eleven year old had a taste of this rice and he couldn't believe it was made with cauliflower and there was no actual rice involved!
Recipe
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Adapted from Katie Lee via The Kitchen
- Approximately 4 servings -
Approximately 4 cups of cauliflower rice*
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 cup frozen peas (or frozen vegetable mix)
2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and green parts separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 scant tablespoon sesame oil
1 rounded cup cooked chicken, diced (I used rotisserie chicken; you can substitute with other proteins)
Maggi seasoning, optional
* Look for packaged bags of cauliflower rice or "riced" cauliflower in the frozen food aisle of your supermarket. In general, a bag will be 12 oz., or about 3-4 cups. I use an entire bag for this recipe - straight from frozen into the pan. If you can't find the prepped cauliflower and want to make your own, cut a stemmed cauliflower into chunks and process in a food processor into a coarse texture, resembling rice (don't over-process or it can turn mushy).
Heat a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the canola oil, then eggs, and quickly scramble. Transfer eggs to a plate and set nearby.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan. Add grated ginger and garlic as well as the white parts of the scallion, cooking, stirring around the pan, for about 1 minute. Add the cauliflower rice and spread evenly around the pan. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, then add peas and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil and scallion greens. Stir together for 1-2 minutes to incorporate. Add scrambled eggs back into the pan and stir together into the rice. Taste, and season with additional soy sauce, if needed (I like to add a splash or two of Maggi seasoning for additional flavor). Scoop into bowls, serve hot, and enjoy!
