This cauliflower rice risotto is also made with broccoli rice. It’s a tasty grain free dish that is quick to make too.
Cauliflower risotto is a great low carb and gluten free dish using cauliflower rice instead of the traditional Arborio rice. Anything cauliflower can do, broccoli can do too so I added broccoli rice to this cauliflower risotto dish. Broccoli rice is just grated broccoli, just as cauliflower rice is simply grated cauliflower. As I was grating the broccoli, I had that song from Annie Get Your Gun in my head “Anything you can do, I can do better”. When you start to imagine, vegetables singing to each other, it’s probably a sign that you need to take that apron off and get out of the house a bit more. Although I would not try a chocolate cake with broccoli rice as I have done with cauliflower.
When I grated the broccoli, I used the stems as well as the head. They grate pretty well so it seems a shame to be wasteful. I grated this using a hand-held grater. My food processor is finally on its way to me. Oh, how I have missed the convenience of kitchen appliances! Mind you, there’s less washing up with the food processor.
Not only is this cauliflower risotto a healthier alternative to rice risotto, it is quicker to cook and you don’t need to be chained to the cooker stirring constantly. As with a traditional risotto you could add a splash of wine to this when cooking the onions and riced cauliflower and broccoli. You might need to reduce the volume of the vegetable stock for this too, as you don’t want a soggy risotto. Alternatively, you sip the wine as you occasionally stir the risotto, be thankful that this is not Arborio rice, laugh and eat a bit of the cheese.
The Chief Taster gave this cauliflower risotto his full approval. He said that the texture was as creamy as a rice risotto and if you closed your eyes you wouldn’t know the difference. Has my sneaking flax seed into food made him start eating with his eyes closed for fear of what he is eating? It was a pretty place plate of food for him that day as I had made a chicken dish for him too! He was lucky to taste any of the cauliflower risotto at all as the whole portion was plated up for the photos. After taking the photos I started to eat it as it was lunch time. Suddenly I was aware that I had eaten half and quietly debated whether to eat the rest or save some for his lunch. It was a tough decision as the cauliflower risotto was just so tasty!
I added lemon zest to this recipe as I like broccoli with lemon. Although it’s not too overpowering, it gives is a slight lift. It can be entirely optional for you to use it though. So, the next time you want a quick meal and are looking at a lonely cauliflower and broccoli in your fridge, get grating and whip up a grain free risotto!
Cauliflower Rice Broccoli Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower
- 1 head Broccoli
- 2 tablespoons Cream
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 Spring onions finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Make rice out of the cauliflower and the broccoli by either grating it or blitzing it in your food processor.
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat.
- Gently sauté the spring onions in the saucepan for 2 minutes until soft.
- Add the cauliflower and broccoli and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Season and add the lemon zest. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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