blog number five

Healthy alternative to rice

Growing up, rice was staple for my family. Simple dishes to the most complex dishes that my mom made came with a side of rice. Rice with stir-fry, rice with soup, fried rice and even plain rice was always on the dinner table. No matter what day it was, what hour it was I always knew that in the kitchen, the rice cooker would be on and ready to be consumed.

Rice is enjoyed daily by many Asian families including me and my very own but we all know that the consumption of too much was a never good idea. Now these days, I substitute my rice cravings for a healthy alternative which is cauliflower rice. Its so simple and easy that it makes the perfect side to every dish. The first time I ever tried cauliflower rice was the frozen stuff in the freezer aisle and believe me its nothing close to what home made cauliflower rice is!

I’ve tested cauliflower rice in a fried rice dish as well as plain side dish to go with a saucy stir fry and I can honestly say that I love cauliflower rice the same or a tiny bit more regular rice. It is low in calories and way less in carbs, which makes it a great option for a healthier choice for any meal.

My recipe for cauliflower fried rice:

ingredients list

1-whole cauliflower

1/2- yellow onion

1/4- cup pf grated carrots

1/4- cup of bean sprouts

*additional veggies optional- its up to you how much you would like to add however make sure you don’t over due it or the ratio of veggies to rice will be out balanced.

3- large whole eggs

2- whole garlic cloves finely chopped

1- tablespoon of olive oil

2 - tablespoon of hoisien sauce

1- cup of cubed protien (1-2 chicken breast)

2- tablesppn of soy sauce

1- tablespoon of sirracha (optional for lovers of heat) or a whole finely chopped chili pepper

optional scallions to garnish :)

1- Cut the core of the cauliflower and wash thoroughly. Dry the cauliflower and chop the cauliflower in smaller pieces and throw it in a food processor. In the food processor make sure you pulse the cauliflower so that the cauliflower becomes the texture of rice. Take your time with the pulsing so that you do not over process the cauliflower. It’s best to pulse quarter of the cauliflower at a time so that the pieces come out consistent. If you over process the cauliflower then it will turn to mush so watch out.

*If you do not have a food processor, you can also use the pulse setting on a blender. I’ve also tried chopping the cauliflower into fine pieces as well as grating the cauliflower and both options work however the texture isn’t the best in resembling rice.

2- The second step is to gather all the ingredients you would like to be in your fried rice. Chop your ingredients into small pieces and set them in separate bowls to the side. Here I chopped half a yellow onion into small pieces, I finely grated a quarter cup of carrots and chopped handful of bean sprouts.

*the best part of fried rice is that there is no wrong ingredient…well not to me anyways. The classic ingredients to fried rice are carrots, peas, scallions, garlic and some type of protein (chicken, shrimp etc). You are welcomed to also add whatever veggies you love. Be creative/ get adventurous!

3-Crack three eggs in a bowl using the yolk as well as the whites, season with salt and pepper and start beating the eggs with a fork. Set the beaten eggs on the side and heat up your wok or any pan at medium heat. Once the pan feels hot and heated, place one tablespoon of oil in the pan with the garlic. Once you start smelling the aroma of the fresh garlic, put the onions in the pan and cook it until its the onion becomes translucent and soft. Add the beaten eggs into the pan, mixing it in with the onions. Increase the heat from medium to medium high and add in the rest of the veggie ingredients, stir in the hoisien sauce. Cook the veggies by combining the veggies with the eggs for 2-3 minutes.

*if you are adding a protein, I recommend that you cook it in a separate pan at the beginning. Use a tablespoon of oil in the pan and make sure you do not forget to season the protein. Once cooked remove it from the pan and set the protein in a bowl on the side and combine the protein after the veggie ingredients have been added.

4- After adding the veggies and the protein, then add the cauliflower to the pan and stir in the soy sauce. Here I also add some sate sauce and and a little chili or sriracha for some heat (optional). Give the mixture a good mix and then cover the pan and let it cook for 5-6 minutes.

*the cauliflower rice should be brown and a little crispy, however if you like your rice to be a little softer- add a tablespoon of water to the pan to help the cauliflower rice soften.

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