Raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by a love of carbs.
In fact, I don’t even know if you can call what I feel a “love”, really; it would be more accurately described as an inescapable addiction. *loaves of bread everywhere laugh villainously*
Anyway, in a concentrated effort to “clean up” mine and my hubby’s eating habits, I have attempted to replace typical carb-filled meal staples with healthier alternatives. This week, the aforementioned meal staple was rice! We love to eat Asian style food, so I tried to embrace the delicious goodness of fried rice while substituting out the actual carb-filled offender.
Here are the ingredients I used for two hearty servings:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (use a food processor to achieve a “rice” texture- just don’t over-process, otherwise you will have cauliflower mush instead of bits), or half of a pre-crumbled package like this one, found at many common grocery stores
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 1 and 1/2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, etc.) or the same amount of cooked veggies of your choice
- 1 egg, fried and chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1/8 cup soy sauce (more or less to taste)
- 1-2 tbsp sesame oil (more or less to taste)
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- green onions, chopped (optional)
Gather all of your ingredients, and get cooking! The whole process takes less than ten minutes:
- Heat your butter and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic, white onions, and cauliflower bits for about 4-5 minutes. I added some cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes as well because I like it, but it’s not necessary as this dish is full of flavor already!
- Add in the veggies, and mix to combine. Saute for 4-5 additional minutes, until everything is warmed through and getting crisp/browned on the outside. Don’t let the cauliflower heat too long and at too low of a heat, otherwise, it may get mushy.
- Finish up by tossing in the fried egg pieces, soy sauce, and green onions. Give it a little mix to combine all the flavors and make sure the soy sauce is evenly distributed.
Ta-da! An easy, carb-free alternative to traditional fried rice. Serve alongside your favorite stir-fry dish, like orange chicken and potstickers, like we did!
My hubby gave this recipe two thumbs up, as he could not even tell I had used cauliflower! I give it two thumbs up, because not only is it amazingly delicious, but quick- and simple- enough to make for a rushed weeknight dinner!
What did you think? I want to hear your opinions if you made this or other healthy, carb-free dinners! Let me in on your food substitution tricks! 🙂
