Cauliflower Risotto

Julie Morris' cauliflower risotto from Superfood Kitchen isn't going to fool you (or anyone else) into thinking you're eating a traditional cheesy, buttery risotto. However, her quick and healthy spin on risotto manages to be comforting, rich, and fully-flavored. Riced cauliflower (where you turn cauliflower florets into "rice" in a food processor) together with quinoa stand in for actual Arborio rice, and the combination of miso, tahini, and nutritional yeast mimic the heartiness normally achieved with a hefty dose of Parmesan and butter. Add brightness from fresh lemon and parsley plus a little extra fiber and protein from the hemp seeds and dulse, and you've got a healthy, easy dinner requiring less time as well as less stirring than a traditional risotto.

The final dish isn't the prettiest recipe I've ever made (and the mid-stage photo is even worse!). Nor will it appear like the yield is that high, however it is surprisingly filling, and you could always add in some baby spinach towards the end for extra greenery. Or just serve this cauliflower risotto with a light salad.

Original source: Superfood Kitchen

Cauliflower Risotto

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 leek
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup hemp seeds
• ½ tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• ½ tablespoon dulse flakes*
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Trim the leek top, remove the root, cut it in half lengthwise, and rinse well to get rid of all the dirt. Once cleaned, thinly slice the leek.
  
• Trim the cauliflower, discarding the stem and retaining the florets. Put the florets into a food processor fitted with the S blade and pulse to "rice" the cauliflower.
  
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leek and minced garlic cloves, saute about 2 minutes, until the leek is softened and the garlic fragrant. Stir the riced cauliflower into the pan, then cook another 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium bowl whisk the tahini, nutritional yeast, miso paste, and vegetable broth together. Once the cauliflower has been sauteed for the 5 minutes, add the broth mixture and the quinoa to the pan. Stir well, then turn the heat up to bring the contents to a simmer. Once simmering, cook another 5 minutes, until all excess liquid is evaporated.
  
• Remove the saute pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, hemp seeds, another ½ tablespoon olive/coconut oil, and the dulse flakes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
  

Notes

Dulse is a variety of seaweed, typically sold dried in the international foods aisle. It  adds a little something extra beyond just an ocean-y salty flavor. That little something extra comes in the form of fiber, protein, and a "bacon-like" flavor when pan-fried.