Cauliflower Fried Rice for Breakfast

I mentioned in my previous post that having my cauliflower fried rice for breakfast is truly a wonderful experience.  Every time I make this rice as a side I always make sure to save some for the next morning because it is out of this world with fried eggs.  So in case you want to try it for breakfast OR dinner let me give you the goods!

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1/2 a red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
~ 2 tbsp. of fresh basil, chopped (you can use 1 tbsp. dried if you want)
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
2 tbsp. coconut flour
3 tbsp. coconut oil


Process

1.  Chop head of cauliflower into medium sized florets, and steam until softened (not mushy soft).
2.  While steaming cauliflower, cut up and combine your onion, garlic, and basil into a large mixing bowl.
3.  Drain cauliflower and add it to your mixing bowl.
4.  Now include all of your spices, along with your egg and coconut flour.
5.  Take a potato masher and mix all together until cauliflower florets break up into a rice-like consistency.
6.  In a large skillet heat your coconut oil over medium heat.
7.  Add rice mixture to hot skillet and stir to coat.
8.  Cook, stiring often, for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower has dried up a little bit and has browned.

**That is the process for the cauliflower rice.  Now if you want it for breakfast.....

Do all of the above except ADD BACON!!  I like to chop up some bacon (around 3 strips a person) and cook it until it's crispy in a large skillet.  If you are making this rice specifically for breakfast then crisp up the bacon and omit the coconut oil to fry the rice in.  Keep the bacon in the skillet and use it's grease to fry up your rice. 

Now the last part that makes this absolutely insane for breakfast are the fried eggs.  There's something about the runny warm yolk combined with the sweetness of the coconut flour in the rice...it's amazing.  Fry up two eggs in some coconut oil and lay 'em on top of your bacon and rice.  Jason had this for the first time with me this morning.  I usually make this for myself when he's away so I can eat most of it, but whatever I was nice today.  He moaned and groaned and probably won't let me make it without him again.  He said it reminded him a lot of your classic potatoes and eggs - which we all know in the Paleo world cauliflower is a great substitute.

Enjoy!

Braised Beef Shanks

I have been wanting to try beef shanks for a long time...for several reasons.  One being that they are generally an inexpensive cut of meat (even if you are buying grass-fed quality.)  I don't know if this is because people are frightened by them or what.  The even more pressing reason for my wanting to try them was for the marrow.  All the recipes that I looked over whooped and hollered about this so-called marrow bone.  I wanted to see what all the hype was about, and obviously I will go above and beyond to do things that are deeemd as healthy.  So the search was on and I found these beautiful beef shanks. 

Now comes the part where I get all whiny because my plans changed, but I believe now that they changed for the better.  I am a planner. It's really all that I do.  In fact, recent nights have been plagued by my constant "planning" that I even waking up to pee turns into an hour long ordeal trying to fall back asleep.  Anyway -- so I planned to have these beef shanks for dinner tonight, and I had found the perfect recipe (in the crockpot.)  On shifts where I work a good part of the day (10 am to 6:30 pm) I usually plan a meal for my trusty crockpot.  Fits into my schedule perfectly.  Well, that was the case until the night before one of my fellow managers sends a text not at all asking but telling me that I will no longer be working that shift but will be closing instead.  That means I will be home from work around 10 pm.  Oh no!!  That wouldn't work.  There went my wonderful beef shank/marrow bone day.  So I texted out a really nasty message back, didn't press send, and just sat there fuming trying to re-think this all through.  Did it really matter?  Could I just find another way?  So after some deep breaths...okay, okay...yeah, it's not that big of a deal.  NBD.

So I decided screw the crockpot; we'll just cook these babies on low in the oven until I have to go to work.  And that meant that rather than enjoying my beef shank and marrow bone goop with Jason at home I was going to be re-heating it in the microwave, from a tupperware in our musty ol' breakroom.  Aye...but focus Jennifer -- it's not about THAT, it's about eating healthy, remember!?  So I moved on and made peace, and whilst making peace -- made beef shanks for the very first time. 

So the process went like this - super simple.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Salt and pepper both sides of each shank.

Heat some coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Sear each shank (one at a time if necessary) about 2-3 minutes per side and then transfer them to a large baking dish.

Once all shanks are seared turn your heat down to medium and saute some minced garlic and some fresh thyme leaves for about a minute. 

Add 1 cup of beef broth to your skillet making sure to scrape all those wonderful little brown bits and let the mixture come to a boil - then reduce slightly.

Once reduced to your liking pour all the liquid over the shanks and add some more cloves of garlic along with some whole sprigs of whatever herbs you have handy.  In this case I had some more thyme and some leftover rosemary. 

Cover your dish with parchment paper and then aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.

Along with the shanks I made a very delightful side item!!!

Bacon-Cranberry Kale that I found here.