My favorite part about cooking for other people is getting out of my comfort zone. We tend to cook what we know or variations of it - over and over again. Which is nice in terms of preserving mental energy and saving time, but can get a little boring when it comes to the food we end up eating over and over.
I had never made kimchi fried rice until I had to for a client a few weeks ago. And when I tasted the end product to make sure it was up to par, I was blown away. I wanted more of it in my life!
I don’t do a whole lot of grains - I find that I feel better when I limit my intake of them. So I wanted to see if making kimchi fried rice with cauliflower rice would still get the job done. (If you’re curious how they affect you, eliminate them for one month and then reintroduce them.)
I must warn you - it of course doesn’t have that same sticky, starchy mouth feel that actual rice has, and you shouldn’t expect it to since cauliflower isn’t starchy. But in terms of flavor and satisfaction? It totally still delivers. I love love love the pungent, spicy flavor burst from the kimchi mixed with the mellow nuttiness of the sesame oil.
While you can totally enjoy this recipe all on its own as a small meal or snack, it’s meant to be more of a canvas. It’s up to you how you want to make it into a full meal - top with a fried egg or scramble some in, serve with chicken or pork, bulk it up with lots of extra veggies. The options are entirely in your capable hands!
A note about kimchi + probiotics - cooking at high heat kills the probiotics in fermented foods (and which is probably why I’ve never made kimchi fried rice before). That’s why I strongly suggest topping the finished product with some fresh kimchi so that you get all the beneficial bacteria to keep your gut healthy and happy!
Paleo Kimchi Fried Rice
serves 1
total time about 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup steamed broccoli florets
2 tbsp avocado oil
¼ cup kimchi
1 cup of cauliflower rice
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Kimchi Sauce
2 tbsp kimchi liquid
1 tsp coconut aminos
½ tsp sesame oil
For Serving
Green Onions
Fresh Kimchi
Instructions
If you need to steam your broccoli, get it started now. Steam for 10 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Set aside. Mix up the Kimchi Sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large pan over high heat. Once pan is nice and hot add avocado oil, followed by the kimchi. Fry the kimchi for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to dry out.
Add cauliflower rice, garlic, smoked paprika and half the Kimchi Sauce to the pan. Quickly stir until everything is incorporated, then let it sit on high heat for another 2-3 minutes. Cooking at super high heat and getting smoky has always made me kind of uncomfortable, but this is what you want for this dish - high heat and fast cooking.
After 2-3 minutes, give the mixture in the pan a stir. Let cook for just one more minute.
Transfer to serving dish. Drizzle with the rest of the Kimchi Sauce and top with green onions, fresh kimchi and any other protein or veggie you want to add. Enjoy!
