Count me among those who considered rice a staple growing up; around our household it was white rice. My grandmother made a wonderful rice pilaf and Cajun-styled dirty rice, and ever since I tasted a Tex-Mex inspired spanish rice at an elementary school “girlfriend’s” family ranch party in the pasture (replete with a plywood wooden dance floor and two crusty old fiddlers), we’ve been making that same Tex-Mex rice at home.
I should note that rice was a staple up until about four years ago.
Going full on Primal/paleo back then, rice was interestingly one of standby carbs that I initially missed the most. Like most of you, those cravings fairly quickly subsided, and having been eating keto now for just about a full year, the thought of eating conventional white rice hasn’t ventured anywhere near our menu plan in quite a while.
Admittedly we were a little slow to warm up to the cauliflower rice movement, though after some cajoling and coaching from our friend Chef Libby in Austin, and playing around with some better recipes and techniques, we’re now zealots for a well-spiced, flavorful cauliflower rice dish.
There are host of great recipes out there, and this Asian Fried Cauliflower Rice version is an amalgam of some of our favorites, and pulls in some of the defining features of the Americanized-version of fried rice that many of us have enjoyed at Chinese eateries over the years (like a bit of diced carrot, and peas), though packs in much more flavor and spice, including using a generous handful of fresh herbs. (I like this one with a big dollop of sriracha like in the image below.)
Fried rice is a great way to dress up leftover proteins (I really can’t think of one that wouldn’t work), and another great reason to keep a bag or two of cauliflower rice in the freezer for use at any time. The bacon works very well here, and the eggs are a classic touch as well.
Finally, if you have a mini-food processor or chopper, it’s a cinch to mince the garlic and ginger (maybe a jalapeno or serrano too), though grating on a microplane grater is uber-easy too. We think the both the fish sauce and toasted sesame oil are essentials, you make the call.
1 medium head cauliflower, riced, or 1 lb bag prepared riced cauliflower
4-5 slices thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced OR other meat (see above)
2 large pastured eggs
1 small onion or 2 shallots, diced small
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise, then cut into small slices
4-5 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed, trimmed, thinly sliced
1.5 inches of fresh ginger, minced or grated (see above)
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated (see above)
2-3 green onions, trimmed, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
2 tbsp Thai basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 tbsp or more good fish sauce
1 tbsp or more coconut or rice vinegar
1 tbsp or more toasted sesame oil
Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Optional
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 or more jalapenos or serranos, minced
Sub riced broccoli for part of the cauliflower
Add a handful of chopped baby spinach or kale
Thai-style chili paste or sriracha
Bean sprouts, more cilantro or basil to add at service.
Prep the cauliflower if starting with fresh; you’ll speed your kitchen time to prep all the vegetables and herbs as well. Gently whisk the eggs in a cup/bowl.
Sauté the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy; remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; quickly cook the whisked eggs until firm, then remove to a plate/cutting board and cut into thin strips.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onions (or shallots) and carrots to the pan, once they begin to soften add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have given off their moisture and begun to caramelize a bit. Add the ginger and garlic, along with a shake or grind of salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or so until you can really smell the ginger.
Now add the cauliflower, along with another shake/grind of salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring now and again, until the cauliflower begins to tenderize (you don’t want it mushy).
Now add half the green onions, the chopped herbs, the tamari or coconut aminos, fish sauce, vinegar if using, chopped egg, and the toasted sesame oil. Add the frozen peas now if using, as well as the chopped spinach or kale.
Stir quickly as all the add-ins get warm, taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Stir in the bacon and egg, then sprinkle the rest on top at service, along with the remainder of the green onions, and additional cilantro or basil as desired.
Enjoy.
