Cauliflower “Fried Rice.” Make this. Trust me.
People ask me all the time if I follow a low carb diet. The answer is absolutely not. I prefer to think of it as a "smart" carb diet. For example: I eat lots of fruit. You know what is in fruit? Yep, carbohydrates. But the they are carbs your body can recognize and use to fuel your day. Do you know what is in that breakfast cereal bar you just ate? Probably not, unless you studied the label, but I can guarantee your there was a plethora of carbohydrates. The problem comes about when those carbs are actually factory created chemicals that smell good and look good, but are completely unrecognizable to the human body.
So, yes, I choose to be as educated as I can about the food that goes into my body, including the sources of carbohydrates I include into my diet. I'm smart about them, But, no, I don't avoid them. There are definite times and places where grains make the recipe. Throw up your hands and rejoyce! This is not one of them. You'll never miss the rice. We actually told a little fib at dinner and told the kids this was just like the fried rice they love from our neighborhood sushi restaurant. They both ate an entire bowl and never once balked at the taste or texture of the cauliflower. Victory!
Anyway, needless to say I loved the way this turned out. I'm even planning to meal prep it next week for my lunches.
As a little tip...You’ll want to marinade the pork for several hours or
overnight. So make sure you allow yourself time for that. It’s a worthwhile
step. Other than that, this recipe couldn't be easier.
Here you go:
Marinade Recipe: In a zip lock bag combine the following-
3tsp minced garlic
2tbsp Tamari or Low sodium soy sauce
1tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1/4tsp black pepper
1tbsp sesame oil
1tbsp rice wine vinegar
1lb boneless, center cut pork, chops sliced into small thin
pieces.
For the stir fry:
1tbsp sesame oil
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
1c green sweet peas, I used frozen
3 scallions, finely chopped including stems
1c of shredded carrot
2 large eggs
For the “Rice”:
2 bags of pre-washed cauliflower florets or a large head of
fresh cauliflower. Wash if necessary.
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Begin by ricing your cauliflower. Place the contents of one
bag or ½ a head of cauliflower into the bowl of your food processor and pulse
until it is the consistency and size of grains of rice. Pour into a bowl and
set aside. Repeat with second bag or second ½ of the cauliflower.
In a very large pan, warm 1tbsp sesame oil over medium heat
and sauté onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic carrots, peas
and scallions and cook until carrots have softened.
Next, push all the vegetables to the perimeter of pan and
add the pork and marinade. Cook the pork thoroughly, but do not incorporate the
vegetables until the pork is fully cooked, about 4 minutes depending on how
large or small you cut the pieces of meat.
After the pork is fully cooked, combine it with the veggies
by stirring gently and once again push the meat and vegetables to the outer
edge of the pan. Crack one egg at a time into the center of the pan and season
with salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs and incorporate them into the mixture.
You are ready for the final step. Retrieve your riced cauliflower
and pour the entire bowl into your sauté pan. Before you stir, top the
cauliflower with 2-3tbsp low sodium soy sauce and then stir to mix all the
ingredients evenly. No need to really “cook” the cauliflower, just warm it
through.
Garnish each serving with 1/4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.
*I also added a sprinkle of dried red chili flakes to my
rice. I did not include this in the recipe because I prefer to keep my recipes
more child-friendly. Personally, I think great either way, but the heat from
the chilies is really tasty.
Hope you enjoy it!
