I don’t know how many calories cauliflower rice has saved 5:2 fasting people since we first posted a recipe in the Facebook group, but it must run into the millions. It’s very easy and makes a great replacement for rice or couscous: lighter, lower in calories, and you are getting a portion of vegetables. And the egg-fried version is just so tasty.
Quick everyday cauliflower rice
Serves 2
Calories per serving: 25
Preparation and cooking time: 5–10 minutes
200g cauliflower florets 50 cals
salt and pepper
Grate or finely chop cauliflower florets until they resemble rice grains. The fastest way to do this is to pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor, which gives a finer texture.
Place the cauliflower into a loosely covered microwaveable dish. Don't add water: there’s already enough in the cauliflower to stop it drying out. Place in the microwave and cook on full power for 2 minutes. If you are only cooking one portion, reduce the time to 60 seconds.
Or you can stir-fry the grated cauliflower. Add a splash of water to or spray a saucepan with 1-cal cooking spray to prevent it from sticking and set over a high heat. When hot, add the cauliflower and fry for 2–3 minutes, or until softened. If you are using spray, the rice may caramelise a little, adding a nutty flavour.
Season and serve alongside curries, stews and other main dishes.
More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen I like to add herbs or spices to the mixture when I process it or during cooking. You could try cumin, ginger, fresh chillis or dried chilli flakes or fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
You can freeze individual portions, too, which generally won’t take much longer to re-heat than fresh.
Recipe from 5:2 Good Food Kitchen - packed with 80 delicious recipes, inspiring real-life stories PLUS tips for healthy, fast cooking.
Egg-fried Cauliflower Rice, 182 cals
This is the more souped up version of cauli rice that makes a great main meal or side dish. It’s infinitely variable, depending on what you’ve got in the fridge or spice rack.
Serves 1 as a main course/2 as a side dish
Calories per serving: 182 for 1 main course servings, 91 cals as a side dish for 2
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
½ medium cauliflower, around 200g of florets (50 calories)
½ teaspoon coconut or sesame oil, 22
½ teaspoon whole or ground spices e.g. garam masala, five-spice, cumin or spice paste, 3-10
2 medium spring onions, finely chopped, 4, or ½ an onion, 19
150g vegetables e.g. sliced mushrooms, chopped pepper or carrot, frozen or fresh peas, 25-50 calories
1 medium egg, 78 cals
Optional: ½ small chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped 2-4
Splash of soy sauce, tamari or sweet chilli sauce
1. Prepare the cauliflower as for the basic rice above.
2. Heat half the oil in the largest frying pan or wok you have. Add the spices, onion and vegetables and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower and the other half of the oil: cook for 2 more minutes and allow the ‘rice’ and vegetables to brown but move in the pan before they burn.
4. Beat the egg. Lower the heat in the pan slightly, move the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour in the egg into the other half. Stir as they scramble, for 1-2 minutes.
5. Mix the eggs and ‘rice’ together in the pan then serve. Add a splash of soy, tamari or chilli sauce to serve.
More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen: add chopped cashew or peanuts in place of the eggs plus some cubed tofu for a vegan version. A splash of coconut milk at the end of cooking is yummy too.
