In the Midwest it’s very common to have a protein, vegetable, and non-vegetable starch like bread or pasta at every meal. Not wrong, not right – it just is! That said, my husband and I recently wondered what would happen if – gasp! – we didn’t eat a starch with each meal (trust me, we talk about more riveting topics than starches!) I took it as a personal challenge to increase our daily vegetable intake AND ALSO not miss the empty calories of unnecessary starches. Like serving a baked sweet potato instead of a side of pasta at dinner. Or pairing a bowl of soup with salad instead of a roll at lunch. Or swapping a muffin for a Very-Veggie Breakfast Bowls in the morning!
Veggie Packed Breakfast Bowls
Riced cauliflower, which makes an excellent replacement for hash browns, is sizzled up then topped with eggs scrambled with greens and mushrooms, a dousing of salsa or hot sauce, and a generous dollop of Lazy Girl’s Guacamole. Plant-based (though if you want to add bacon I’ll totally look the other way!), gluten and dairy-free, filling, but most importantly so, so satisfying. This breakfast is the definition of feel good food.
Cauliflower rice is having a moment right now. Like, there’s nothing it can’t do. Except be wine. That’d be nice! Anyway, it’s so versatile, and not only do we use it in place of actual rice around here, like in my Cauliflower Fried Rice, but it also makes an awesome replacement for hash browns. Nothing against the humble potato, which is of course a vegetable and undeniably delicious, but good hash browns require a ton of oil or butter to make them breakfast-worthy. Cauliflower on the other hand? Just a tiny drizzle will do ya, plus you reap the dozens of nutritional benefits that come along with eating this super food. There are several options for making and/or procuring cauliflower rice: send the florets through a food processor fitted with the grating blade, grate the head on a box grater, or purchase a bag of fresh or frozen cauliflower crumbles from the store. Of course cauliflower rice doesn’t get crispy like hash browns, but the experience is similar. It’s all about the visual with this dish, and once the cauliflower is sauted, it’s a dead ringer for its potato counterpart. Best of all? This meal is super easy to throw together and although I’m labeling them “breakfast bowls” I’ve eaten this dish for every meal of the day. Vegetable power, baby!
Start by adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4oz sliced mushrooms then saute until they release their water. After the liquid has evaporated season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper then saute until the mushrooms are golden brown, and remove to a plate.
Add another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the skillet then turn the heat up to medium-high. Add 1-1/2 cups cauliflower rice, season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then saute until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes.
Remove the cauliflower hash browns to your serving bowl then turn the heat back down to medium and add the mushrooms back into the skillet along with 1 chopped green onion and a handful of a baby spinach blend, or baby spinach. Saute until the greens have wilted, then add 2 eggs that have been whisked and scramble.
Scoop the scrambled veggie eggs onto the cauliflower rice then top with a big spoonful of salsa and my Lazy Girl’s Guacamole, aka 1/2 avocado mashed with lemon or lime juice, garlic powder, and salt. Pair with a cup of coffee, cold OJ, or big cup of water to jump start your day the healthy way – with VEGETABLES! Enjoy!
More Cauliflower Rice Recipes
Low-Carb Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder
Low-Carb Cauliflower Cream Cheese Soup
Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers with Parmesan-Garlic Cauliflower Rice
Sweet Chili Coconut-Lime Grilled Chicken with Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower Fried Rice
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