Cauliflower risotto may not be a food you’ve heard much about, but it can be a great alternative to the old standby of pasta. In fact, it’s delicious and surprisingly healthy. There are no heavy pasta sauces or toppings; simply pureed, chopped cauliflower (sometimes referred to as “pork rind”) along with onions, mushrooms, garlic and seasonings. If you’re looking for a great way to add a little something different to your dinner or lunch, this is one of the simpler and easier dishes out there.
You may have seen this dish served at Italian restaurants: cauliflower soup with a mix of different cheeses on top. Sometimes fennel seeds are added, too, which adds some extra flavoring. The problem with this type of risotto–otherwise known as “pasta risotti” –is that it can be incredibly heavy, especially if using the arborio rice variety. However, cauliflower rice risottos is often made using pureed cauliflower, rather than white rice, and usually takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.
Here’s a simple recipe for this delicious low carb side dish. Combine softened butter, cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and let the mixture rest while you run a wooden spoon through it. When done, drain the mixture and add some fresh mixed vegetables. Adjust the seasonings to your liking, and enjoy a warm, sumptuous meal. This is definitely a dish, you should make over again. In fact, this is an excellent opener to a new week!
If you want to adjust this recipe to have a slightly crisper flavor, simply reduce the cooking time by half. If you like to serve this skillet immediately, simply add it to your sauce after chopping up the traditional risotto ingredients. Usually you can find this dish at Italian restaurants or even frozen from the grocery store. If you opt for the frozen variety, remember to soak your cauliflower raspberries in water or put them into a plastic bag and freeze until ready to use.
This delicious dish is both Italian and Korean influenced, and makes use of many different types of cooking spices and flavors. The key to the original recipe was to steam the cauliflower until it was soft. The key to making the creamy, cheesy risotto, however, was to not allow the water to boil while it was still in its raw state. Cooked or raw potatoes are high in potassium and lower in calories. Many diets recommend eliminating potatoes from your diet all together due to their high glycemic index. If you opt for the traditional recipes, which usually call for butter or oil to cook with, the potatoes are one of the few low-glycemic ingredients that remain unchanged.
In terms of calories per serving, the original recipe made use of 4 tablespoons of butter or canola oil, and only had about twenty or so calories per serving. Today, this same amount of butter can make several smaller servings, depending on how you prepare the cauliflower risotto. Typically, you can add in just about any type of meat, vegetable, or cheese into this hearty soup, in order to create a wide variety of tasty dishes. You can make it as rich or as low in carbs as you wish. As an example, if you like your meals to be very hearty, then you can increase the amounts of the meat, vegetables, and cheese without decreasing the overall amount of calories.
Although you can typically find a traditional recipe for keto cauliflower risotto in just about any book or online source, there are also many variations that can be incorporated into this dish. For example, you can add in other types of meat, such as chicken breast, ground beef, or even frozen veggies and cheeses. However, if you really want to get a high level of nutritional value from your meal, then you should make your own rice. Rice is typically much lower in carbohydrates than does pasta, which makes it a great option for your low carb cauliflower risotto.
You can experiment with the different choices you have for vegetables and meats in order to create a wide array of delicious dishes. In particular, you may want to try the baked chicken breast versus regular chicken breast in order to make a low fat version of this popular dish. Another good option is to substitute half of the butter for coconut oil, which will significantly reduce the overall fat content of this dish as well. As with any type of cooking, you will always want to take the nutritional values into consideration when you are creating your menu, especially when it comes to low carb cauliflower risotto. While there are some delicious ways to make this dish, be sure not to take shortcuts and end up with unhealthy meals.
