Beef and Veggie Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry

Cauliflower everything is on the up and up these days. It's pretty awesome how versatile this veggie is. I'm sure you've heard of the cauliflower crust pizza, which to be honest I haven't quite personally mastered myself but I've had some pretty tasty versions from Trader Joe's. Another popular use is taking "riced" cauliflower and using it as a rice substitute. For those of you unsure of what I mean by riced cauliflower, this just means taking cauliflower florets and pulsing them in a food processor or grating them on a box grater until they've broken down into tiny granules resembling rice. For some this may seem like a lot of work so great news they actually sell frozen riced cauliflower all prepared and ready to use! I've really come to enjoy substituting the rice in some of my recipes with the cauliflower. Honestly in a recipe like this stir fry with lots of flavor and other veggies you won't even notice the difference. If you haven't figured out yet I always love posting nutritional education as well so before I share this bomb recipe with y'all here's a little health info on cauliflower:

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family, meaning it comes from the cabbage family. These vegetables are excellent sources of natural antioxidants due to their high levels of phytochemicals. Cauliflower also contains many of the vitamins and minerals we need in our diets. Other interesting facts include that this veg is recommended for cancer patients along with other cruciferous veggies, it is a natural detoxifier which aids in digestion, and lastly cauliflower helps to balance our hormones. Now get out those woks (if you have one, it isn't necessary though!) and start cooking up this yumminess!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sirloin steak cut into strips, 1/4 inch thick

• 2 tsp grapeseed oil

• 2 tsp beef stock

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbs liquid aminos

• 1 tbs ground ginger

• 2 tbs arrow root starch

• 1 cup of water

• 1/4 yellow onion, diced

• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned

• 1/4 green pepper, julienned

• 4 white button mushrooms, sliced thin

• 2 cups broccoli rabe, frozen

• 3/4 cup spring peas, frozen

• 1 bag (12 oz) cauliflower rice, frozen

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a cast iron pan ( I used my dutch oven) over medium high heat.

2. Pat meat dry and season with salt and pepper.

3. Brown meat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve for later.

4. Using the fat and juices deglaze the pan with the beef broth then add garlic, black pepper, 1 tbs of liquid aminos, and 1 tbs of ground ginger.

5. Add arrow root starch and cook for 2-3 minutes to cook out the starchy flavor.

6. Add 1/2 cup of water. Let sauce come to a light boil, it will begin to thicken.

7. Return meat to pan, reduce heat to low and bring to a low simmer.

8. Cook covered for 45 minutes.

9. After 45 minutes, most of the liquid will be absorbed.

10. Turn heat back to medium.

11. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.

12. Then add peppers and carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes.

13. Lastly add peas, broccoli rabe, and cauliflower rice.

14. Stir for 3 minutes.

15. Add remaining 1/2 a cup of water and bring whole dish back up to a boil (this will take a few minutes because the veg is frozen).

16. Once you bring back to a boil reduce heat, simmer and cover until most of the liquid has absorbed, about 7 minutes.

17. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. (I added about 2 more tsp of liquid aminos and 1 tsp of ground ginger)