Low Carb Ham Fried Cauliflower Rice

So yes. I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that Christmas is over and the crazy feasting is done. The refrigerator was stuffed full of leftovers which disappeared surprisingly quickly. I do have 7 people under my roof and everyone with a really hearty appetite! I think it was only my 7 kg ham that yielded a significant amount of leftover meat.

So I’ve been making ham and broccoli frittatas, ham sandwiches, ham and root vegetable stew and finally ham fried “rice”. I’m happy to say that we are finally down to the last sliver of ham without us getting sick of leftovers!

Cauliflower fried rice is a great way to use up leftover meat. Cauliflower rice is really low carbohydrate (cauliflower is 4g carbs per 100 g versus white rice which has 26g carbs per 100g). The only thing is that I have a feeling that cauliflower fried rice had to be eaten immediately and not kept too long as it tends to be a little soggy over time. And it is the perfect carrier for all kinds of leftovers. In this recipe I used up some tiny remnants of edamame beans that I had in the freezer, but something like chopped thin asparagus spears would actually be a great substitute for crunch. And if I weren’t coping with leftover Christmas ham, chopped up sausage or spam would also work as well.

Ultimately this fried cauliflower rice dish speaks completely to the frugal Asian mentality…nothing is ever thrown away and any edible creature is eaten from nose to tail!

Low Carb Ham Fried Cauliflower Rice

Servings: 6
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

1 1/2 heads of cauliflower (large)
1 cup ham (cubed)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup edamame beans
1 egg
2 tbsp fried shallots (optional)
1 tbsp chopped spring onions (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2-3 tbsp peanut oil

Method

Cut the cauliflower into florets, then, with a food processor, chop the cauliflower into rice grain-sized pellets.
If the edamame beans are uncooked, either blanch in boiling water or microwave for 1 minute. Set aside.
Beat the egg. Heat up a non-stick pan and 1 tbsp of oil. Fry the egg omelette in as thin a layer as possible. Set aside, then when cool, roll up the omelette and slice thinly. Set aside.
In a large non-stick pan or wok, heat up the remaining oil over moderate fire. Sauté the garlic and onions for about 2-3 minutes till fragrant and slightly translucent. Add the ham and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the cauliflower “rice” and carefully stir fry about 4-5 minutes till slightly softened.
Add the salt, pepper, paprika and soy sauce and mix through well. Add the edamame beans and stir through the shallots and spring onions.
Serve hot, topped with the fried omelette shreds and some spring onions for garnishing.

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