Life just got better with lightened fried cauliflower rice with chicken. In fact, I’m planning it again for next week!
Life is a constant struggle. It can be with marriages, family members, kids, animals, schools, government systems, money problems, blog issues and my personal favorite WEIGHT ISSUES. I would be one heck of a rich lady if I put a dollar in a jar for every time I said I was going to work out or start a diet. In fact, I started a gym that is less than 2 miles from my house and they have yet to see me since I signed up. You could say, in fact, that I am giving them one hefty monthly donation. One day soon, I HOPE and PRAY to make it to the gym in my new workout attire. Yes, I bought new clothes in thinking that I would gain some aspiration for attending workout classes.
Wrong!
This past week I finally made the decision to change up some eating habits at home. If I wasn’t going to the gym, at least I could start somewhere in the right direction. Don’t get me wrong because I will always and forever hold a love for bread, pasta, Mexican food and sweets near and dear to my heart. I’m talking about minor changes because I want to be happy and satisfied about meeting small goals that I have set for myself. One to two healthy meals a week for our family and then reevaluate. That is downright doable in my mind.
Now I am a huge fan of Chinese food, but is it healthy? Heck no! After listening to my sister-in-law talk about cauliflower rice, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make this lightened fried cauliflower rice with chicken recipe. Talk about a big bowl of savory Chinese food that is healthier than the original version. SOLD.
I’ve partnered up with Pompeian oils to bring you some new flavors. The new Pompeian Varietals Collection currently features three different varieties ranging in flavor from mild to full-bodied, allowing at-home chefs to find the perfect, complimentary oil and flavor profile for all of their dishes, from delicate seafood to juicy red meats.
- Arbequina – a mild-bodied extra virgin olive oil with a round taste of mature fruitiness and a delicate sweetness of almonds, ideal for fish and vegetables
- Koroneiki – a full-bodied extra virgin olive oil with robust fruitiness and a sensation of fresh-cut grass leading to a peppery finish, perfect for soups and salads
- Picholine – a medium-bodied extra virgin olive oil with a green fruitiness, hints of herbs and a pleasing balance of bitterness, great for meats and sauces
The oil I used with this dish is the picholine varietal. It pairs nicely with meats, soup, sauces and marinades. Not to mention it’s perfect for a sauté or roast. The balance of this cauliflower dish was very nice with the oils, vegetables and chicken.
These new products also allow us, the consumers, to track each individual bottle with their new Tree to Bottle site.
ENJOY ~ Meagan
Lightened fried cauliflower rice with chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Picholine olive oil, divided
- 1 cup chopped baby carrots
- 2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place 1/3 cauliflower florets in a food processor. Pulse until you get little rice pieces. (Don’t pulse too much or it becomes too fine) Repeat until you use all cauliflower and then set aside.
- Add 2 teaspoons picholine oil to a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
- Then add chicken, peas and garlic to the pan. Cook for an additional 7 minutes. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.
- Add the eggs to the pan and scramble with a spatula then add to meat and vegetable mixture.
- While eggs are scrambling heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok over medium heat.
- Add the cauliflower rice and cook for 4 minutes.
- Stir in the meat, vegetable and egg mixture.
- In a small bowl combine the sesame oil, soy sauce and hoisin sauce and pour it over the cauliflower rice.
- Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Top with green onions and salt as needed.