For those of you like me who are looking for a less starchy alternative to fried rice, here is an easy Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe for you!
But first – Happy New Year!
It’s now officially 2020 as I write this. A new year that brings with it new energy! I always get excited about New Year’s Day. Not NY Eve like most people, but NY Day. As you’ve probably gathered, I ain’t the partying type. I’m the get-into-my-pjs-by-9pm-with-hot-cocoa-and-a-good-book type of gal. A true introvert. Getting drunk and standing in a crowd full of strangers singing Auld Lang Syne at the top of my lungs is personally not my idea of a good time.
And also… I’m in my mid-30s.
Ahhh but NY day? That’s exciting! A new year brings with it new energy, new goals and new adventures on the horizon. It always gets me motivated, so I use this time to take a Faye-day and think about my goals for the year. This year, I took myself to the beach and in between swims thought music, food, and some informative posts that I can write for the website. So more on that to come!
In the meantime, I do hope that you enjoy this Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe. I’ve kept the flavours fairly simple – no hard-to-source ingredients here. Feel free to swap some of the vegetables too. If you’d rather not have green beans, but mung beans or something else, then go for it! As long as you ensure that the cauliflower is properly prepared and the flavours are all there, then you can’t go wrong!
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cauliflower
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 150 grams firm tofu
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1/4 tsp fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup peanuts optional
- 1/2 carrot sliced
- 1 1/2 cups cabbage OR bok choy
- 1 cup broccoli
- 1/2 red pepper sliced
- 1 cup green beans
- 1/2 cup mushrooms
- 1 egg optional
- 1 tsp lemongrass powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp white rice vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Grate the cauliflower finely until it resembles grains of rice, then spread evenly on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 15 mins until just starting to turn brown (after about 10 mins turn once, then place in the oven for the remaining 5 mins). Once done, take out and allow to cool.
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped tofu. Stir occasionally until tofu is golden brown.*
- Add the onion slices, garlic and ginger along with a pinch of salt, and fry for a further 5 minutes.
- Add in the sliced carrots, and peanuts (if applicable), and fry for 5 minutes. Then add the cabbage or bok choy and cook for a couple of minutes further.
- Now add in the broccoli, chopped mushrooms, green beans and sliced red pepper. Stir fry for 10 minutes. (If you would like to add an egg, then create a hole in the middle of the vegetables and drop the egg in the middle. Scramble and break up as the egg cooks.)
- Once the vegetables are nicely cooked you can add in the prepared cauliflower rice. Stir through evenly, and add the lemongrass powder, salt and 3 tbsp of the white rice vinegar.
- Continue to stir fry for another 5 minutes before adding the last tbsp of rice vinegar. Mix this through evenly for a minute or two, then serve!