Who else needs a vacation right now?! I took a short trip earlier this summer to Hawaii and it already feels like forever ago. At least I can make this crab and cauliflower fried rice recipe that was inspired by the trip and imagine myself back on the beach!
If you’ve never been to Hawaii, each island is so different and unique. We decided to go to the Big Island, which is known for being a very outdoorsy and adventurous island that’s a little quieter than its sister islands. (Check out my travel tips below!)
Our hotel was amazing and beautiful, and I seriously would have been ok just spending my days at the pool and beach there; especially once we discovered their lobster fried rice. OMG it was good! The perfect mix of spice and seafood to go with your tropical drink by the pool. It was so good, I may have eaten it three times in 5 days, so I knew I wanted to recreate it when I got home.
Unfortunately, fried rice isn’t the healthiest thing, and lobster isn’t an everyday affordable seafood. So I decided to lighten it up with cauliflower rice and added crab so you won’t break the bank!
It all starts by sautéeing up your veggies and aromatics of ginger and garlic. Your kitchen will smell amazing after you make this by the way! Then you add in your cauliflower rice and sauce, which is a mixture of soy sauce and fish sauce for some salty umami flavor and sriracha for a kick.
A quick note on the cauliflower rice – you can either use fresh cauliflower and pulse it in a food processor until it looks like rice, or you can use frozen cauliflower rice to save time. I’ve personally never found a difference between the two, so just go with the method you prefer.
As the cauliflower cooks, the liquid will start to evaporate so you get a nice crispy exterior to the rice. Scramble in some eggs and mix in the crab, and you’re ready to serve in under 20 minutes! Make sure not to skimp on the lime wedges at the end as the acid really ties it all together.
I love this dish because it’s so easy to make and has so much flavor – the ginger and garlic for depth, heat from the sriracha, umami from the sauce and fresh seafood flavor from the crab. While swapping the lobster for crab certainly helps with the grocery bill, you can also take it one step further and use sautéed shrimp instead, or just omit for a more vegetarian version. Either way, it’s a lightened up dish that will get you dreaming of white sandy beaches!
Looking for other cauliflower rice recipes? Check out my Spicy Salmon with Mango Salsa and Coconut Cauliflower Rice!
Wine Pairings for Crab and Cauliflower Fried Rice
While this dish would most certainly go well with a Mai Tai or your tropical drink of choice, a dry white wine will also go great!
- Gewurztraminer: One of my favorite wines for spicy food, Gewurztraminer is a slightly dry, floral and fruit forward white wine that will contrast well with the spiciness of the dish.
- Riesling: Similarly, a Riesling will also balance out the spice of the dish due to its sweeter floral nature. It’s also a nice crisp wine that is great for a hot summer day.
Travel Tips for the Big Island, Hawaii
The Big Island is the perfect retreat for the outdoorsy adventurer who also likes to relax on the beach. Here were some of my favorites:
- Where to Stay: The Kona side of the island is much sunnier than the Hilo side (cited as the wettest place in the United States!), which makes for a nicer beach vacation. The larger resorts 20-30 minutes north of Kona are even more protected from the rain.
- Manta Ray Snorkeling: This is a must-do! This night time snorkel tour just south of Kona was one of the most magical experiences. The Manta Rays do a “barrel roll” move where they swim just inches away from your face. We even had dolphins swimming around us too!
- Volcano National Park: This is such a cool experience to see an erupting volcano! While you can’t see the lava during the day, you can see the steam. You can supposedly see the glow of the lava at night, but note that the park is on the other side of the island from Kona so it is a bit of a drive at night. We hiked through the Kilauea Iki crater which erupted back in the 1950s which was surreal! Depending on where you park, this can be a 6-8 mile hike but it’s worth it.
- Pololu Valley: We unfortunately weren’t allowed to do the hike here due to the weather, but the view of the valley was gorgeous. It felt like something out of Jurassic Park! If you’re able to do the hike, it’s supposedly a quick 20 minute hike down to a black sand beach.
Crab and Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
A healthy fried cauliflower rice with crab that is full of spice, aromatics, and umami flavor.
Ingredients
ients
- 3 cups riced cauliflower, frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- ½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup frozen or fresh edamame
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cooked lump crab meat
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the yellow onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, peas, carrots, green onions and edamame and cook until the carrots are softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower rice, soy sauce, sriracha and fish sauce to the pan and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
- Push rice to one side of the pan and add the eggs to the other side. Cook the eggs until set, about 3 minutes.
- Mix the cooked eggs and crab into the rice carefully so that the crab does not break up too much. Sauté until the crab is warmed through.
- Serve the rice topped with cilantro and lime wedges as desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Mark
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.