Recipe: Rocco DiSpirito’s Veggie Fried “Rice”

Fried rice—and Chinese food in general—doesn’t exactly scream healthy food!

But one thing that makes this spin on your takeout fave better for you is that it’s not actually made with rice—it’s made with cauliflower (is there anything that veggie can’t do?).

The recipe is from celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito’s latest book, Cook Your Butt Off, which is filled with traditionally unhealthy dishes like tacos and pulled pork sandwiches, made with a good-for-you twist (and structured so that you might even be able to count prepping and cooking them as part of your workout).

“We’ve replaced the white rice, a processed empty calorie ingredient, with a nutrient-dense ingredient like cauliflower,” says DiSpirito, who also packs the dish with fresh vegetables and notes that a typical fried rice is about 405 calories and 20 grams of fat, while this one is (wait for it) 105 calories and 0 grams of fat.

Which begs the question…Seamless who? —Molly Gallagher

Vegetable Fried “Rice”

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking sprayPinch of red pepper flakes, plus more as desired1/2 head cauliflower, grated on the small holes of box grater to the size of rice (about 1 cup)Kosher salt2 cups fresh stir-fry vegetable medley (look in produce department for a mix with broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, onions, snap peas, bean sprouts, etc.), chopped into ½-inch pieces3/4 teaspoon chopped garlic1/2 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger1 teaspoon gluten-free, reduced-sodium tamari (such as San-J)

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper flakes and grated cauliflower and cook until the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Season with salt, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

Spray the pan again with cooking spray and add the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are charred and softened, about 1 minute. Move the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the garlic and ginger to the exposed part of the pan. Cook until aromatic, about 20 seconds. Return the cauliflower “rice” to the pan and toss until everything is well mixed. Turn off the heat, add the tamari, and toss the mixture until everything is well coated. Season with salt and more red pepper flakes, if desired.

Spoon the mixture into a bowl and serve.

Excerpted from the book COOK YOUR BUTT OFF! by Rocco DiSpirito. © 2015 by Flavorworks, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Grand Central Publishing Life & Style. All rights reserved.