Low-Carb Fried Cauliflower Rice with Shrimp, Sugar Snap Peas, and Red Pepper

Ingredients

• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into pieces and pulsed in food processor or grated until it resembles pieces of rice
• 1/2 onion, chopped small
• 4-6 peeled garlic cloves
• 4-6 slices ginger root
• 4 green onions, sliced in 1/2 inch diagonal pieces
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
• 1 egg, beaten well
• 1 cup thinly sliced sugar snap peas
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 oz. cooked shrimp, cut into pieces
• 1 T + 2 tsp. high smoke point oil

Directions

1. Before the pan goes on the heat, get every ingredient cut, measured, and ready beside you; stir-frying moves too quickly for mid-recipe chopping. Halve the cauliflower, remove and discard the core, then break half of it into chunks and set aside the remaining half for something else. In a food processor with the steel blade, pulse the cauliflower until it looks like little grains of rice. If some large bits refuse to cooperate, take out the finely chopped pieces and pulse the stubborn ones again. Without a food processor, use the large holes of a cheese grater to shred the cauliflower instead.
2. Cut the onion into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the garlic, then slice off a few pieces of ginger root. Cut the green onions on the diagonal into 1/2 inch lengths.
3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce with the sesame oil. Beat the egg well in a separate bowl.
4. Thinly cut the sugar snap peas on a diagonal until you have 1 cup. Dice the red bell pepper into 1/4 inch pieces.
5. Cut the shrimp small enough to eat easily in a bite, and if it seems damp, blot it with paper towels.
6. Set your wok or pan over high heat for 30-60 seconds. Pour in the oil and let it heat for another 30-60 seconds, until a tiny drop of water sizzles when it hits the surface. The exact timing depends on your stove. Add the garlic and ginger, cook only until their aroma comes up, then take them out; they have done their job of flavoring the oil.
7. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the edges begin to color lightly. Stir in the cauliflower and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then transfer it to a plate. If any cauliflower clings to the wok or pan, wipe it clean before continuing.
8. Pour in 2 tsp. more oil and heat it until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Add the sugar snap peas and red bell pepper, then stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
9. Move the vegetables over to one side of the wok. Add the egg to the open space and stir with a wooden spoon, breaking it up as it sets, until it looks like small pieces of scrambled egg.
10. Return the cauliflower to the wok and warm it for about 1 minute. Add the shrimp along with about 3/4 of the green onion pieces, and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the shrimp is heated through.
11. Pour in the soy-sesame mixture and stir-fry until everything is evenly coated, about a minute more. Serve hot.