my food journey with anne post 2

the other day i asked anne what she wanted for dinner, her response was i don't know, something easy to eat since my mouth hurts, but maybe not soup or salad. i suggested stir fry with fish and she said that sounds great! i haven't had stir fry in a while.

while driving home i started to think about what i normally do for stir fry and realized this would have to be quite different. no rice, no soy, no carrots, no peppers all things that are common to a good stir fry. what could i do to make this actually seem like stir fry and not just some basic sauteed veggies and fish? the main thing that makes a difference is when you pour the veggies and protein over rice and it absorbs all those wonderful flavors. hmmmm what to do with out rice?

i started to do a little research and then some experimenting and came up with this yummy little dish

green stir fry with cauliflower rice and garlic cashew cod

not your average stir fry, but it was really great. since rice wasn't an option, the cauliflower acts as the filler and it soaks up all the goodness of the stir fry and fish. for the green stir fry i sauteed broccoli, shaved brussel sprouts, shallots, garlic and ginger and the cod was sauteed in garlic, butter, olive oil and topped with  roasted cashews. what really made this dish was the cauliflower rice and it was so easy to make.
since on this journey with anne, the other goal is to make this family friendly too, so for my kids i sauteed some carrots and peppers also and then served theirs with teriyaki chicken. they loved it! my son added a bit of soy sauce to his cauliflower, but all agreed that is was a great substitute for the rice. again another win, win!
the best part it is completely carb free and i was still full for the rest of the night. i often notice when i cut my carbs i tend to get hungry about an hour later. that is just me, not everyone, but that was not the case with this meal.


                                                     cauliflower rice

2 cups cauliflower florets (one large head)
2 tablespoons coconut or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots
2 minced cloves garlic
Coarse salt
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat one tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallot and minced garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about six minutes. Add cauliflower and season with coarse salt. Stir in vegetable broth and steam, covered, until broth has evaporated and cauliflower is tender, about six minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover.