Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"... a one-pot dish and a great way to use up leftovers. Ever since I've made the Gluten-free Cauliflower pizza, I've been experimenting with cauliflower and trying to use it in a variety of ways. This fried "rice" recipe was made on the spur of the moment... with ingredients I had in the house. 

Recently my husband and I were in the middle of a painting job...  and I quickly realized it was time for us to eat. I think it was my growling stomach that was letting me know it was time for lunch:). But I needed to make a quick meal that would feed us, and at the same time give me plenty of time to go back to work and finish painting. So I went down to the kitchen and looked in my fridge. I wanted to use up some of the vegetables I had and grabbed a few items. Then I noticed a few slices of deli ham in the deli drawer, so I took those out as well. There was only 1/2 a cauliflower, but I knew it would be enough to make us a meal. Why, with all the veggies and the bit of ham I could stretch the cauliflower and make a complete meal of it.

I started dicing the vegetables and with the corner of my eye, noticed my camera . I thought, "Why not... the dish might be worthy of posting." So I snapped the step-by-step photos. Later on I decided to post the recipe.... just because the dish was so delicious. Both my husband and I finished the whole lot... in one sitting(yikes!). Maybe we were super hungry after all the painting:). 

I'll be honest, the dish doesn't taste exactly like fried rice, but the Asian seasoning does bring in that fried rice flavor. And for being a low carb option, using cauliflower is great. I could easily see this dish being used to complement other Asian dishes at the dinner table.  The really neat thing about this recipe is that you can really use up any leftovers you have in the fridge and make a pretty decent meal of it. And the really nice part... it's a one pot sort of dish. Love it. Hope you enjoy...

Note: While I used a teriyaki sauce, you can easily use whatever stir-fry sauce you like... and for a gluten-free version, opt to use a GF soy sauce or stir-fry sauce. And if you'd rather skip the soy sauce altogether, add salt instead... I think originally the true fried rice was made with with salt and no soy sauce. This dish is more of a "taste as you go" sort of dish... 

Tip: Feel free to add any vegetables/meat of choice to make your own fried rice version... it's fun to be able to use up any leftover tidbits you make have sitting in the fridge.

You will need:

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2.5 ounce(5 slices) chopped deli ham

salt, to taste

2 TBS oil(can use coconut oil)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ginger juice(or fresh ginger)

1 TBS teriyaki sauce Yeri Yeri brand(or GF soy sauce/stir-fry sauce)

2 eggs

1/2 head(4-5 cups) raw cauliflower "rice"

1/2-1 cup frozen peas

Extra Sauce Seasoning: as needed, adjust to taste 

3 TBS teriyaki yeri yeri brand(can use soy sauce)

1 tsp sesame oil

Additional:

1/2 cup chopped green onion

sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

1.  Cut cauliflower in small pieces and place in food processor. Pulse  a few times until cauliflower is the size of rice. You may need to do this in a couple of batches if your processor is small.

2. Remove and set aside. 

3. Dice the celery, carrot, onion and ham.

4. In a large skillet, add about 2 TBS oil and heat on medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and garlic. Season with a bit of salt. Saute till softened a bit, about 5-7 minutes, stirring every so often.

5. Add diced ham and continue to cook for an additional minute or two.  

6. Stir in the 1 tsp sesame oil, the 1 tsp ginger juice( or grated ginger), and  the  1 TBS teriyaki sauce. 

7. Lower the heat a bit and move the sauteed mixture to one side of the pan. To the other half of the pan, add a bit of oil  and  crack the 2 eggs. 

8. Mix the eggs up a bit and cook until almost set....then stir the scrambled eggs in with the rest of the vegetables

9. Add the riced cauliflower and mix to combine.

10. Add the peas and 3 TBS teriyaki + 1 tsp sesame oil. Mix to combine and adjust the heat to medium so you get some caramelization. At this point, you may need to adjust  seasoning to taste... add more salt/ teriyaki/soy sauce/ginger etc. Cook till you get some flavor in the cauliflower and some caramelization... maybe another 5 minutes or so. 

11. Sprinkle with chopped green onion... can add some chopped cilantro/sesame seeds/peanuts, etc.  if you like.