The chameleon of the kitchen, cauliflower transforms into “rice” that, once seasoned and cooked, is remarkably similar to the real thing. It’s a blood sugar-friendly base for this quick yet flavourful Asian-inspired stir-fry.
Grate expectations No food processor? Use the largest holes on a box cheese grater to grate each cauliflower floret into small pebble-sized pieces.
Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
- 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil
- 2 tsp (10 mL) honey
- 2 tsp (10 mL) garlic-chili hot sauce such as Sriracha
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) peanut oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) pieces
- 2 medium carrots, diced into 1/4 in (0.6 cm) pieces
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) peeled, minced fresh gingerroot
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) frozen green peas
- 2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) cilantro
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) unsalted roasted cashews
- Juice of 1 lime
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories401
- protein34g
- fat18g
- saturated fat4g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates28g
- sugars9g
- fibre7g
- sodium481mg
Directions
01
Coarsely chop cauliflower into florets. In food processor, place half of cauliflower and pulse until cauliflower has the texture of rice or couscous. Be sure not to overprocess or it will get mushy. Add to large bowl. Repeat processing with remaining cauliflower. Set aside.
02
In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and chili sauce.
03
In wok or large high-sided skillet, heat peanut or grapeseed oil over medium. Add chicken and heat until browned throughout. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Place carrots in pan and heat, stirring often, until softened. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger; heat for 30 seconds. Place half of cauliflower in pan and heat for 3 minutes, stirring often, or until tender. Add remaining cauliflower and heat for another 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chicken and peas. Pour in soy sauce mixture and heat for 1 minute.
04
Make a well in the centre of pan by pushing cauliflower mixture to the sides and pour in beaten egg; let egg cook for 30 seconds before stirring into cauliflower rice.
05
Serve garnished with cilantro and cashews. Squeeze on lime juice just before serving.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.