Is your New Year's resolution filled with healthy food habits?

Try my new recipe for this Basil Cauliflower Fried Rice for your

next takeout craving!

This recipe for Basil Cauliflower Fried Rice is naturally vegan and gluten-free optional, yet can be easily modified based on your food preference. Some tasty protein add-ins can be any type of meat, shellfish, tofu, or even an egg!

Stay in the Game

Like most of us, we end up breaking our New Year's resolution by the time it started. There are ways to stay strong! Making our commitment more measurable and realistic is a good start. For example, if you plan to eat healthier this year, that may be too general. Let's be honest, we all eat unhealthy at times and there is nothing wrong with that. As long as we let our healthy habits outweigh our junk cravings we are still being normal, healthy individuals. So, to focus on healthier habits, why not say include more fruits and vegetables in my routine or eat a vegetarian meal at least once a week. This is much more achievable and the odds are you won't be falling off track with your goals.

For more amazing tips on how to prevent those overindulging cravings, read this excellent article by my academy (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) here.

Why not try incorporating more fruits and vegetables in your diet for a healthy challenge? Increasing your intake has been shown to reduce risk for chronic diseases and aid in weight loss. Thanks to the nutrition powerhouses that they are, fruits and vegetables are high fiber, vitamins & minerals, and have fewer calories per serving. These are all good reasons for being so beneficial. Try adding more fruits & vegetables in your next pasta dish, serve with a main entrée protein, or toss in a soup or salad.  Are you up for the challenge? Check out this Eat More Veg Challenge from my favorite magazine, Eating Well, written by Registered Dietitians!

In this Basil Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe...

First off, this recipe is so speedy!  Rice is not in this recipe, so instead of waiting up to 40 minutes (like watching paint dry) this recipe only takes 20 minutes or less. For a version with carbs, feel free to add cooked rice in addition to cauliflower rice. If you prefer other vegetables, please feel free to substitute. In addition, the basil gives a delicious aromatic flavor to the dish. So, please try fresh basil if you can! This recipe is vegan but can be easily made with other proteins. To make this recipe gluten-free, make sure to use Tamari which is certified gluten-free in place of the soy sauce. The flavorings and sauce I used for this recipe are adapted from my older recipe for Curried Tofu and Rice Noodle Stir Fry.

To make the cauliflower rice, simply chop a medium to large head of cauliflower (stem removed) into large pieces. Transfer these pieces to a food processor and pulse until the size of rice granules. If you prefer to mince the cauliflower by hand, more power to you! Before cooking with the cauliflower rice, make sure to press out any excess moisture. This can be done with the cauliflower laid out on a sheet pan or shallow bowl and using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel press on the cauliflower and collect any moisture.

Healthy Basil Cauliflower Fried Rice

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or 1 tablespoon coconut oil for flavor)
• 2 small bok choy, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, trimmed then finely chopped
• 1 cup carrots, peeled & finely chopped or shredded (both for great texture); about 2 carrots
• 16 ounces cauliflower "rice" (can make from a medium head of cauliflower in food processor pressing out excess moisture before cooking*)
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced with stems removed
• ½ cup fresh Thai basil leaves, sliced
• Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (use Tamari if gluten sensitive)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• salt & pepper to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium high heat.
2. Saute the bok choy, pepper, and carrots until slightly soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower rice and mushrooms, saute until softened, about 3 -5 minutes.
4. Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute extra.
5. Stir in the basil leaves and sauce, and continue stirring evenly until well combined about 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
6. Optional: additional fresh Thai basil leaves for topping

Notes

This recipe makes a great base for your favorite proteins! Try steamed shrimp, baked tofu, chicken, or a fried egg on top! If you don't have Thai basil, Italian basil also works well! For more carbs, mix in regular tasty rice as well!!

Recipe Card powered by