Risotto – a creamy, warming, melt-in-your-mouth meal. It supplies the perfect vessel to carry a ton of vegetables and flavor, while remaining hearty enough to satisfy comfort-food cravings. Besides the reality that traditional risotto may not be the healthiest option, it also carries a time burden in its preparation. For this month’s featured recipe we decided to give this dish a Cornucopia twist.
Our version uses sprouted Basmati rice in conjunction with riced cauliflower – giving it a volume boost while keeping carbs low and nutrients high. We also opted to keep ours dairy free, making this vegan friendly, by using cheese and cream alternatives. The mushroom broth used heightens the umami from the cremini mushrooms, when in combination with sautéed garlic, peas and thyme, mimics the traditional savory risotto flavors you’d hope for.
The best part about this recipe is that several of these ingredients are double point items for the month of March! So yes, you get to prepare this tender, comforting dish AND receive extra points from your purchase. That’s a win-win if you ask us. So join us and get cooking!
Notes:
-To make this paleo-friendly, simply leave out the rice and use solely cauliflower. You may need to reduce the amount of broth used and overall cooking time, though.
-Regular Parmesan cheese and cream/butter can be used in place of the vegan alternatives in equal amounts.
-If mushrooms and peas aren’t your favorites, try subbing in chopped asparagus or cubed squash for either.
Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Total Time: 50 mins
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
½ cup frozen peas
1 bag Cascadian Farms Riced Cauliflower
½ cup Lundberg Organic Sprouted Basmati Rice
1 cup Pacific Organic Mushroom Broth, or broth of choice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tsp dried Thyme
1 handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Sea salt + black pepper
¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
optional: 1 tbsp vegan cream or butter
oil of choice for sautéing
Method
- While preparing the rest of the ingredients, pre-cook the rice in 1 cup of water or broth until almost done, but slightly undercooked (al dente), then set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium-low heat sauté the garlic for about 2 minutes until fragrant, then add in the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms around until they begin to release their juices, adding a bit more oil or broth so they don’t stick to the pan.
- Once the mushrooms have cooked down a bit add in the peas, riced cauliflower, thyme, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium, stir to evenly distribute the seasoning and let cook for about 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the rice and ½ cup of broth, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed.
- Remove the cover, and then add in the vinegar, Parmesan and more broth as needed. Stir to combine everything and continue adding in the broth until you’ve used the remaining ½ cup and the risotto has achieved a thicker, creamy consistency – about 10 minutes.
- Lastly, stir in the cream or butter if using, the chopped parsley and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Remove from the heat and serve with additional fresh parsley, a sprinkle of cheese and some crushed red pepper, if desired. Enjoy!
