Stir Fried Cauliflower Rice

I have been intrigued with this recipe for a while now. It's all over Pinterest. I guess it's the Paleo version of stir fried rice. Instead of using rice for the stir fry, you use grated cauliflower. And since I love fried rice, I decided to give it a try. It's great because it's all vegetables and you cut down on carbs. And goodness knows, I'm always looking for ways to cut calories!!

When I asked my husband how he liked the "stir fry"? He said it was good. He didn't even realize that it wasn't rice. I said it's cauliflower and he said he knew there was some cauliflower in it (because there were little bits of it) , but I told him there was no rice in it what so ever, he really couldn't believe it! And my sister really loved it! So I guess this is a keeper.

The trick to grating the cauliflower in the food processor is not to over crowd it, otherwise it takes a while to grate and then you have mushy cauliflower, which you do NOT want. Just do small batches at time. It really does resemble rice when it is grated properly.

Unfortunately, this the only photo I have...I forgot to take pictures along the way. Sorry.

Stir Fried Cauliflower

I head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons oil
3-4 green onions, diced
1 inch of ginger, finely chopped
2=3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small bunch of kale, thinly sliced
Soy or tamari sauce, to taste
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Coarsely chop the cauliflower into florets. In small batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice. Set aside.
Heat a large pan or wok with oil over medium-high heat and add the green onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté until soft. Turn up heat. Add the red pepper and kale, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and soy sauce and continue stirring frequently until the cauliflower is hot and a little crispy. Drizzle with the sesame oil and serve.

m xo

One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

I came across this pilaf on Food52, the site that I absolutely adore! I can't get enough of this site. Some people read novels in their spare time. I read cookbooks and browse food blogs. Is that wrong?

I usually like to bring my lunch from home when I can and so does my husband. While he is ok with a can of tuna and a green salad, every single day, (may I add), I am not. I don't mind having the same thing for a couple days, especially if it's leftovers from dinner, but John CAN and DOES eat the same thing for weeks on end. Remember the granola bar he has every morning? Hahaha!

I saw this recipe and happen to have all the ingredients on hand and thought it would be perfect for our lunches. I tweaked it a little by deleting the green onions, switching up pine nuts for walnuts, feta for goat cheese (not a fan) and I added dried cranberries. Deliscous and easy. Pack in to-go containers and you have healthy lunches. By the way, I got 3 lunches out of it. But depending on your hunger, you might get 2.

One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 organic lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper, to taste


Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, turn off the heat and let it steam for 5-10 minutes.
In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, walnut oil, nuts, cranberries and salt and pepper.
Check the quinoa and kale and make sure the water has all been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and tip in the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Serve warm or room temperature if you are serving right away. I also liked it cold, from the refrigerator.

m xo

Quinoa Stir Fried "Rice" with Baby Kale

I made this stir fry using quinoa instead of rice. I like that it has more protein than rice therefore more satisfying. I made my quinoa the day of but if you have any leftover, definitely use it! I made my stir fry a little spicy too. Adjust to your liking.
I used baby kale but if you can't find it or don't like kale, feel free to use baby spinach.
I find a bowl of this stir fry to be very comforting.

Quinoa Stir Fry with Baby Kale

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 eggs, beaten
4 generous handfuls of baby kale
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small red hot chilies, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
sesame oil

Heat a wok or nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Pour in eggs and cook until it sets up. You can scramble or leave it as an omelet, it doesn't matter because it's going to break up when you incorporate it back into the stir fry. Transfer to a plate.
Heat another tablespoon of sesame oil and drop in kale and cook until wilted. Remove from the pan.
Place the pan over high heat with another tablespoon of sesame oil. When hot, add the onions, garlic, chilies, ginger and carrots. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. Stir in quinoa, cooked eggs, kale, soy sauce and hoisin. Cook for another 30 seconds. Ready to serve. I like to sprinkle on a few sesame seeds to finish.

m xo