cauliflower "fried rice"

cauliflower "fried rice"

• 10.05.2014

I've never been one to hide my love of snacks - especially ones that include fake cheese. For my birthday this year, my team gave me a giant box of Goldfish... so my love and dedication to snacking is clearly well documented. But recently I've been trying to eat my "pivot table" feelings less... and drink more water. I say "pivot table" because snacking always happens at my desk and then spirals into me eating multiple Reese Cups on my couch at night.

In the spirit of this, I've been trying to experiment more in the kitchen. On Saturday, I put blueberries on my english muffin and today I made cauliflower rice. Big wins. I'm not sure when I first saw this technique but I was intrigued. While I've previously stayed away from cauliflower, roasting it for soup changed my perspective. My sister has even turned it into a mock buffalo chicken situation.

Cauliflower rice could not be easier - provided you have a food processor. It also seems rather versatile. Good for "fried rice" but maybe also good for any other occasion you are trying to sneak vegetables onto the plate. If I had any children instead of a cat, I would be doing this immediately.

Note: I firmly believe fried rice is the perfect occasion for frozen vegetables... but I actually didn't have any on hand. Only blueberries still. So I sliced up some carrots originally intended for soup and sliced some corn directly from the cob into the pan. In a perfect world, I would have also had peas for this...

Here's how it goes:

(Step 1) Cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding the tough inner core. Working in batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it breaks down into rice-sized pieces. You should have 5 to 6 cups of cauliflower "rice."

(Step 2) Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Once cooled, roughly chop into pieces. 

(Step 3) Place the pan back over medium-high heat. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the skillet. Quickly scramble the eggs. Transfer the eggs to a cutting board and roughly chop into pieces.

(Step 4) Wipe the skillet clean and warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the carrots and sauté until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Stir in the corn, peas, and the cauliflower "rice" into the pan, mixing the ingredients thoroughly.

(Step 5) Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Uncover and stir in the bacon, eggs, green onions, cashews, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce to taste. Serve immediately.

Shopping List

1 head cauliflower

1/2 pound (8 slices) thick-sliced bacon, optional

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon minced ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cashews, almonds or other nut

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce