Amazing Cauliflower "Fried Rice"

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!