Cauliflower Fried "Rice" with Shrimp

These days I’ve been all about the cauliflower fried “rice,” and this recent iteration with shrimp was too good not to pass along to you.

I’ve waxed poetic about my obsession with cauliflower “rice” too many times before, so I’m going to skip gushing over my love of this trend-turned-staple and get right to the flavor talk. The crunchy fresh veggies and tender sautéed shrimp in this rice are awesome, but the heart and soul of this recipe is the sauce. You’ve got all the usual fried rice flavor suspects up in there—soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil—but it’s the orange zest and squeeze of juice that change the game. The sauce doesn’t taste overwhelmingly “orange,” but the citrusy sweetness permeates the dish and adds a certain je ne sais quoi to each bite. Please don’t skip it—it’s really, really, ridiculously good. Especially combined with the heat from a generous sriracha drizzle.

Not only is this one-skillet wonder delicious, but it’s also packed (PACKED!!) with nutrients, will leave you feeling fabulous, and comes together in about 30 minutes. And you can always save time by using store-bought cauliflower rice (no judgment) and pre-shredded carrots. The recipe allows you to stretch a little bit of shrimp a long way, but shrimp is still pricy, so if you’re not willing to shell out or simply don’t do shrimpies, you can obviously sub chicken, pork, or beef, or go straight-up vegetarian. The rice also re-heats surprisingly well in case you’re in the market for dinners that do double duty as #sassydesklunch. (Aren’t we all?)

Oh, and just FYI, this rice happens to be gluten-free if you use tamari, paleo-friendly, and 100% Dude Diet approved, so it’s got major crowd-pleasing potential. Get after it, friends.

Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Shrimp: (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 heaping cups florets)
2 tablespoons light sesame oil, divided (You can also use extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil.)
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced on the bias
¾ pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
2 large eggs
For the sauce:
3½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 large garlic clove, grated or finely minced
½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon honey
For serving: (optional)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds (black or white)
Sriracha

Preparing your Cauliflower Fried “Rice” with Shrimp:

-Start by making the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the sauce. Briefly set aside.

-Next, prep the cauliflower “rice.” Add half of the cauliflower florets to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the florets become coarse granules that resemble rice. (Be careful not to overprocess, or you’ll end up with cauliflower mush.) Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large bowl. Repeat this process until all of the cauliflower has been riced. Briefly set aside.

-Time to cook the shrimp! Place a bowl or plate by the stove. (The shrimp will cook very quickly, and you want to get them out of the pan as soon as they’re done!) Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer. Cook for about 1 minute, shaking the pan regularly, until the shrimp are just pink and barely opaque (reallllly try not to overcook them, peeps, they’re going to cook more later on), and transfer them to the waiting bowl/plate by the stove.

-Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent.

-Add the carrots and snow peas and cook for about 2 minutes, just until tender.

-Add the cauliflower rice to the pan, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring periodically, until the rice is tender but not mushy.

-Push the rice to one side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the empty half of the pan and scramble with a spatula for 1-2 minutes until set.

-Mix the eggs into the rice, then add the cooked shrimp and sauce to the pan, folding everything together with a spatula. Cook for 1 minute to allow the flavors to combine.

-Divide the rice among bowls, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with Sriracha (if using).

Cauliflower Fried Rice with Shrimp

Author - Serena Wolf

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Yields: 3 -4 servings (depending on hunger levels)

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower cut into small florets (4 heaping cups florets)
• 2 tablespoons light sesame oil divided (You can also use extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil.)
• ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup snow peas thinly sliced on the bias
• ¾ pounds medium shrimp peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
• 2 large eggs

For the sauce:

• 3½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 large garlic clove grated or finely minced
• ½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon honey

For serving: (optional)

• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• Sesame seeds black or white
• Sriracha

Instructions

• Start by making the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the sauce. Briefly set aside.
• Next, prep the cauliflower “rice.” Add half of the cauliflower florets to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the florets become coarse granules that resemble rice. (Be careful not to overprocess, or you’ll end up with cauliflower mush.) Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large bowl. Repeat this process until all of the cauliflower has been riced. Briefly set aside.
• Time to cook the shrimp! Place a bowl or plate by the stove. (The shrimp will cook very quickly, and you want to get them out of the pan as soon as they’re done!) Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer. Cook for about 1 minute, shaking the pan regularly, until the shrimp are just pink and barely opaque (reallllly try not to overcook them, peeps, they’re going to cook more later on), and transfer them to the waiting bowl/plate by the stove.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the carrots and snow peas and cook for about 2 minutes, just until tender. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring periodically, until the rice is tender but not mushy.
• Push the rice to one side of the pan. Crack the eggs into the empty half of the pan and scramble with a spatula for 1-2 minutes until set. Mix the eggs into the rice.
• Add the cooked shrimp and sauce to the pan, folding everything together with a spatula. Cook for 1 minute to allow the flavors to combine. Divide the rice among bowls, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with Sriracha (if using).