This is a very light, vegetable centric dish that is both nourishing and easy to digest- perfect for a rainy fall day. Cauliflower rice is a large trend in the Paleo community, an eating regime that eschews all grains and legumes. Many people find that this tastes pretty comparable to the real thing, I wouldn’t necessarily go quite that far, it still tastes like cauliflower to me, but it is an interesting way to get more vegetables in. We often hear that it is good to eat the rainbow when it comes to produce, and while that is very true don’t forget about white! Cauliflower is part of the cancer-fighting cruciferous family and it is rich in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Shrimp could be substituted for the chickpeas to make a fully Paleo dish.
- Cauliflower Rice
- 4 cups cauliflower, shredded with a cheese grater or in a food processor
- 1¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon cold-pressed sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- Stir fry
- 1½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody bottoms cut off and spears sliced into 2 or 3
- 1½ cup baby new potatoes, quartered
- 1½ cup peas
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- ½ jalapeño, deseeded and chopped (leave seeds in for more spice)
- ¼ cup parsley
- Topping
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or black)
- 1 tablespoon green onion, sliced thinly
- It is fastest to make both parts simultaneously:
- Cauliflower Rice
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and then sautée the garlic and shallot for 2-3 minutes, until slightly browned. Add in the cauliflower and vegetable broth and continue to sautée for another 7 minutes, until the broth is all reduced (no more liquid left) and the cauliflower is al dente- softened but not yet mushy.
- Stir fry
- Pour the broth into a large wok and heat over medium heat. Add in the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the asparagus, peas and jalapeño and cook for another 5 minutes (put shrimp in now if substituting for chickpeas). Add in the chickpeas and parsley and cook for a final 2-3 minutes, until the chickpeas are heated through.
- Serve the stir fry over the cauliflower rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion.
