Yes, it’s still cauliflower season and yes, cauliflower can be an excellent replacement for rice in a variety of dishes. The versatile vegetable belongs to the mustard family (Brassicaceae) and is briming with vitamins.
The word cauliflower comes from the Italian word cavolfiore which means cabbage flower. There are hundreds of varieties of cauliflower around the world and while white is the more common color of the head of the plant, you may also find orange, green and purple cauliflower at markets from time to time.
Cauliflower can be steamed, roasted, grilled, fried, pickled, mashed, eaten raw, etc. It can also be used as an alternative to flour as well as rice. In this risotto recipe, riced cauliflower is used in place of arborio rice and the result is a creamy, flavorful dish that takes very little time to make.
The really great thing is you can make your own riced cauliflower; it’s easy to do and typically costs less than buying already-riced bags of cauliflower. This cauliflower risotto is a perfect side dish to scallops, shrimp, pork or sausages.
Cauliflower Risotto
Makes 4 servings
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups riced cauliflower
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for several minutes, stirring often. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the cauliflower, cooking and stirring for 10 minutes or so. Stir in cream, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Cook until cauliflower is tender and mixture is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes.
Stir in parsley just before serving.
Tip: You can make your own cauliflower rice by trimming and cutting a head of cauliflower into bite-size pieces and blending in a food processor until it turns into tiny rice-like bits.
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This article appears in Source Weekly October 19, 2023.
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