AVOCADO OIL CAULIFLOWER FRIED RICE

After writing and creating Paleo recipes for several years now, I’m convinced there are two types of Paleo dieters: Those that love it because you can eat all the fat your heart desires, and those that loathe the idea that things like bread and pasta are from here on out going to be made from things like cauliflower and zucchini. Not that these veggies are bad; they’re actually pretty delicious on their own, but a flat bread made of cauliflower tastes like, well, cauliflower.

There are cases, though, where the cauliflower works well as a substitute. Rice is one. It’s got a fairly neutral flavor, and if you chop it right, it’s perfectly fluffy. It works particularly well for rice dishes where there are other things going on, because let’s be honest — if you’re looking for a bowl of plain white rice, plain old cauliflower probably isn’t gonna do it for you. But for something to eat with curry, or in this case, fried rice, it’s actually really good, and you can eat as much of it as you want without feeling bad. Oh, and unlike traditional fried rice, which takes a whole day to prep for, this version comes together in 10-15 minutes. Seriously, that almost makes it worth it on its own.

To make your “rice,” you’ll need either a food processor or box grater. A food processor is easier in my opinion, but a grater will make more evenly sizes granules. Try ‘em both to see what you like best.

Once your cauliflower is chopped, frying it is as easy as choosing your ingredients. I used peas, and carrots, and flavored my rice with ginger and green onions, but you can use whatever veggies you want (although I might not use cauliflower; that’d be kinda weird.) For a full meal, you can add your favorite protein.

To fry my rice, I used my avocado oil, and it was really good. First, it’s got a high smoke point, which is necessary to get that slightly crunchy texture necessary for the best fried rice, but also because it added a complimentary floral aroma. I ate my rice plain, but I would imagine it being really good with something like orange beef or shrimp.