I’m SO excited for today’s recipe, you guys! It comes from my deep love of {really good} Chinese take-out that I sadly no longer have access to living in the great north woods of Minnesota. Also, I’ve discovered over the years that most Chinese take-out just makes me feel all kinds of yuck afterwards…so I created this recipe with the intention of satisfying my desires for super yummy fried rice & something extra healthy! Enter—>Shrimp Fried Cauli-Rice.
The amount of vegetables in this recipe absolutely astounds me! Who knew that cauliflower was going to be the most versatile vegetable on the planet?! I love that cauliflower can feel like a grain when processed with a food processor in a certain way. It’s kind of amazing, actually!
The other really cool thing about this recipe is the ‘lightness’ of it! It’s not a heavy protein-laden meal. The shrimp is marinated in a salty-sour’ish sauce and it just ends up being all kinds of yummy! I do love adding the sambal oelek (Thai Chile paste) to the mixture; it adds an immense amount of flavor. If you’re unsure if your family likes Thai chile paste, maybe just add a hint and go from there? Play around with the level of it, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Make sure to make note of this Shrimp Fried Cauli-Rice and pass it along to friends. It’s a great, grain-free alternative that comes together VERY quickly during the week! After you’ve made this, head back over to the clean eating series on the blog & catch something new that maybe you haven’t tried yet!
Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
xoxo
Shrimp Fried Cauli-Rice
This super delicious & highly nutritious version of shrimp fried rice will leave you never wanting another Chinese take-out version again! Have all ingredients out & ready to go and this meal will come together in a hot minute!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. jumbo shrimp
- 5 T. coconut aminos
- 1 T. fish sauce
- 1 T. Sambal Oelek (thai chile paste-optional)
- 2 T. toasted sesame oil
- 5 T. grapeseed OR avocado oil (something that will work with a higher heat & that's flavor-neutral)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tsp. minced fresh ginger
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 eggs, beaten
- kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup frozen pea pods
- 4 green onions, tender light green parts chopped
- 2 packages frozen cauliflower florets (or 3 cups) OR 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets & shredded from your food processor
Directions
- Step 1 Combine the shrimp & 1 T. of the coconut aminos and 1 T. of the sesame oil in a bowl. Set aside.
- Step 2 If you have a head of cauliflower, you’ll need to use your grater attachment in your food processor and process the florets into rice-shaped pieces. You should end up with around 3 cups of riced cauliflower. Alternatively, if you are using pre-bagged frozen cauli-rice from the grocery store, buy enough to have about 3 cups of cauli-rice.
- Step 3 Heat 2 T. of the grapeseed or avocado oil in a wok or heavy duty high sided skillet over medium to high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring on occasion, until mixture is fragrant. Add the carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining grapeseed or avocado oil and the cauliflower and cook, for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture moving around the hot pan. Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a plate and return your pan to the heat.
- Step 4 Add the marinated shrimp mixture to the pan and sear for about 1 minute preside, until just cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to the plate with the cauliflower mixture and return your pan to the heat.
- Step 5 Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and stir to scramble them for about 20 seconds until mostly cooked through. Pour the cauliflower & shrimp mixture back into the pan and add the remaining coconut aminos, fish sauce, sambal oelek (if using) and the remaining sesame oil and salt to taste. Stir in the frozen peas and pea pods and cook for about 1 minute until the mixture is all heated through.
- Step 6 Dish out & garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
