Cauliflower Fried Rice
I adore cauliflower. I’ve been waiting all year for it to be in season and the time has finally arrived. Westmoreland Produce has a beautiful bounty of this cruciferous veggie and I plan on taking as much advantage as possible while I can. Bending Bridge Farm also has Romanesco Cauliflower - definitely a fun veggie!
Cauliflower wasn’t my favorite growing up. Like many vegetables, I felt like it was always overcooked, which left very little taste and no desire for me to enjoy it. Since veggies have become trendier in the last few years, cauliflower has been given a well-deserved makeover and is now one of the most popular vegetables - and for good reasons, too. For one thing, it’s extremely nutritious. Many people don’t realize this - they think that the lack of green in the veggie equals a lack of nutrients. It’s true, the lack of chlorophyll in cauliflower does mean that it doesn’t have the same nutritional value as it’s close relatives, such as broccoli and cabbage. However, cauliflower makes up for this by containing a whole lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It is also low in fat and carbohydrates, which makes it an excellent addition to healthy meals and a great substitute for many things.
Many interesting dishes have come from a “cauliflower substitution” trend. I’ve seen dishes where cauliflower is used in place of potatoes to make a “mashed potato" dish. Another very cool way to use cauliflower is to process it and use it as “flour” in a pizza crust. One of my personal favorites is the use of cauliflower as I did in the dish I’m featuring this week - Cauliflower Fried Rice. This is a dish commonly found in the Paleo Diet trend, and it is a fabulous way to get a ton of veggies into one meal. By processing the cauliflower into tiny little crumbles, it resembles rice and can then be used in its place in many dishes. This one works so well because the fried aspect of the dish allows the cauliflower to maintain a crunchier texture, thus resembling rice.
One great thing about this dish is that the vegetables are interchangeable. I chose to go with some of my personal favorites, but I encourage you to mix and match to your heart’s content. Speaking of personal favorites, I’m very pleased to announce that another favorite of mine has recently been spotted at the market - Kaleidoscope Greens. They are a mix between two amazingly delicious veggies - Brussels sprouts and kale - and the season has just begun. You can learn more about this versatile treat from one of my blog posts last year which can be found on our website or blog page. Please stop by Twin Springs Fruit Farm at any of the markets and try it out for yourself. You’ll be happy that you did.Without further ado, here is the recipe:
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Makes 4 servingsINGREDIENTS
- 1 Head of Cauliflower (Westmoreland Produce)
- 2 Ears Corn (Twin Springs Fruit Farm)
- 1 Shallot (Twin Springs Fruit Farm)
- 4 Medium Carrots (Bending Bridge Farm)
- 2 Large Handfuls Kaleidoscope Greens - about 10-12 florets (Twin Springs Fruit Farm)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Two Acre Farm)
- 3 Eggs (Liberty Delight Farms)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Soy Sauce to taste (optional)
DIRECTIONSCut the florets off of the cauliflower and remove as much stem as possible. Working in batches, process the cauliflower florets in a food processor until it resembles little crumbs (or rice). Set aside.Small dice the carrot, cut the corn off the cob, and chop the kaleidoscope greens. Chop the shallot almost to the point of mincing, depending on whether or not you like chunks of it (I do). Mince the garlic.In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and cook until the shallots become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots, corn, and kaleidoscope greens and cook 5-6 minutes. Depending on how big you cut the carrots, they may not cook as fast. If they are still not starting to get tender, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan, cover it, and remove it from the stove to let them steam for 3-4 minutes. That should do it.Put the pan back on the heat and add the cauliflower. Mix thoroughly. After 3-4 more minutes, crack the eggs into the pan and coat the veggies. This is where you would add the soy sauce, if you chose to use it. When the eggs are cooked, add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!