Don’t fool yourself into thinking those little bits of chopped veggies in Chinese takeout fried rice make it healthy. The reality is that fried rice is a carb-laden meal that accounts for about 75% of your daily caloric intake. Traditional fried rice typically contains nutritionally-void white rice and fatty meat, all fried up in unhealthy oil. I’ve taken this “Americanized” meal and put a healthy spin on it. Just by replacing the refined white rice with cauliflower, you’ll gain tons of nutritional value.
Even though white foods tend to be associated with low nutritional value, cauliflower packs in a high amount of nutrients into a small number of calories. Cauliflower is in the cruciferous vegetable family along with broccoli and cabbage, and this family is known for it’s cancer-protective antioxidants and phytonutrients. Indole-3-carbinol and Sulphoraphane are two compounds in cauliflower that have shown promise in anti-cancer research. Cauliflower also contains a high amount of vitamin C, which reduces oxidative stress from free radicals. The choline from cauliflower helps with learning and memory as well as sleep and muscle movement. As if that’s not enough, cauliflower also contains a high amount of fiber for a healthy digestive tract.
So who needs carbs, when you’ve got cauliflower? This dish tastes just like fried rice, but there’s not an ounce of rice in it! Serve it with grilled chicken or salmon, if desired.
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- 1 small head cauliflower
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- 3 tbs tamari
- 1/2 vegetable broth
- 1/2 inch ginger grated
- 1 large clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mixture
- 1 large egg beaten (omit for vegan version)
- ¼ cup green onions
Ingredients
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- Cut the core from the cauliflower. With a sharp knife, chop the florets into thin slices. This will make the florets fall into tiny little crumbles. Place in a food processor, if desired, and pulse just until the cauliflower has the texture of rice.
- Drizzle the bottom of a large crockpot with sesame oil. Add cauliflower, tamari, broth, ginger, and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until the cauliflower is tender. Stir peas and carrots into the pot, drizzle egg over the mixture. Cover and cook an additional 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Garnish with green onions. Serve immediately and enjoy.
