Sesame Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice

This is probably one of my sneakiest healthy recipes. It’s one of my go-to’s when I really don’t feel like eating healthy, and a salad is just not gonna happen. It’s also quick, easy AF, and can be thrown together with kitchen staples I always have on hand. Low carb, high protein and super filling, this is a great weeknight dinner or (hangover meal TBH).

So let’s get into it. Cauliflower rice. What a gift from god. You feel like you’re eating a big bowl of carbs, but its just cauliflower. Once again, Trader Joe’s is a savior, making cauliflower rice easy and accessible – no cauliflower grating or food processor required.

The fact that is comes frozen also makes it a great freezer staple so you always have healthy options on hand. Trader Joe’s Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry makes it even easier, by adding some stir fry staples (peas, corn, tamari).

The best part? One cup has only 5 net carbs (and that includes some sugar Trader Joe’s adds, plain riced cauliflower has only 3 net carbs per cup) so it’s totally keto-friendly or great for anyone looking to reduce their carb intake.

In addition, as part of the cruciferous family of vegetables, cauliflower is loaded with nutritional benefits. Cruciferous vegetables contain indole-3-carbinol, a compound that has been shown to help balance hormones by reducing estrogen (many hormonal imbalances in women are caused too much estrogen, and not enough progesterone).

Cruciferous vegetables have also been associated with reduced cancer risk, thanks in part to their sulforaphane content, a phytochemical which promotes detoxification of carcinogens.

To up the flavor, consistency, and nutritional value, I’ve also been adding bone broth to my cauliflower stir-frys, and it’s a game changer. When the cauliflower absorbs the bone broth, it makes it way softer and less cauliflower-y, not to mention adds serious benefits in terms of supporting the gut lining and the immune system.

Bone broth is rich in collagen (the protein that supports connective tissue, joints, skin and nails) and glutamine, an amino acid that supports the cells of the small intestine to help heal / prevent leaky gut. I also love anything that gets me closer to eating “nose to tail” (the way humans used to eat, eating and using all parts of the animal, not just the muscle meat).  I like the brand Bonafide Provisions, which also comes frozen, making it an easy staple to always have on hand.

WHAT YOU NEED (for 1 serving)

• 1 cup Trader Joe’s Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry*
• ¼ cup Bone Broth (I like Bonafide Provision’s Chicken Bone Broth)
• 1-2 organic chicken breast tenders (depending on size)
• 1 egg (I always use Vital Farms pasture raised or local farmer’s market eggs)
• Choice of veggies – I’ve been into:
  • Carrot ribbons (literally just used a veggie peeler to make the ribbons)
  • Shitake mushrooms
  • Kale
• Sesame Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic
• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

*Now the Trader Joe’s stir fry does have some ingredients I don’t love (sugar, modified cornstarch), but for the convenience, I’m fine with it. But as always, ricing your own cauliflower from scratch is the ideal, but lets be honest, we don’t always have time for that

HOW TO MAKE IT

• Prep the chicken. Place chicken in bowl with 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1-2 tbsp avocado oil to marinate – season with pink Himalayan salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the both sides
• Start the cauliflower rice. Add frozen cauliflower rice to a pan with ½ tbsp avocado oil. As the cauliflower starts to defrost, add in ¼ cup bone broth. It will get pretty liquidy, so cover the pan to allow the cauliflower to absorb the bone broth, and let simmer about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Prep your veggies. Chop veggies as needed, and add to the cauliflower mix. Add veggies that need longer to cook sooner (like carrot noddles) and veggies that just need a quick steam (like kale) towards the end
• Cook the chicken. In a separate pan, add the chicken and cook on low, covered for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden (I always use a meat thermometer when cooking chicken on the stove top to ensure its fully cooked – 165 F is the safe internal temperature for chicken – if you’re cooking whole chicken breasts, it’ll be closer to ~10 minutes per side). Once the chicken is done, set aside and slice into chunks and add to the stir fry
• Add an egg. Finally, crack an egg in the cauliflower stir fry, and add any additional seasoning to taste (I usually top it off with more pepper, and add liquid aminos and siracha to taste)
• Garnish with microgreens to feel fancy and get some extra nutritional punch

*The beauty of stir fries is they are really had to mess up. As long as you cook the cauliflower long enough to be soft, and the chicken enough to be fully cooked, you can interchange steps / toss things in as you wish         What are some of your favorite go-to easy healthy meals?