lightened up risotto;
Classic risotto is such a luscious dish that I love, but I don’t make it that often at home. Mostly because of the time aspect—it just takes a lot of time to let the rice absorb all the liquid it needs to cook. But also because it’s on the unhealthy side, loaded with delicious butter and lots of cheese and carbs. The original recipe I shared has 8 Tbsp. of butter in it! Of course it’s less per serving but that’s still a lot of fat packed in, not to mention the cheese. And on top of that I prefer it as a side dish health-wise and it’s a lot of work to make on top of preparing a protein and veggie as well.
But I’ve found a way to lighten it up, without comprising the flavor and texture too much—riced cauliflower. Now before you go screaming to the winds, hear me out. This is not a solely cauliflower recipe. In fact it’s half rice and half cauliflower. And you know what—if you’re had served it to me blind I don’t even know that I would have been a le to tell the difference! It’s a little lighter yes, but the flavors are still all there and now I feel twice as justified in making and eating it—it’s a grain AND vegetable for the same amount of work! I call that a win! And I toned down the butter a bit because it doesn’t need it. And the key is to get sharp cheese for intense flavor with a smaller quantity. My cheese of choice is pecorino Romano since I feel like it has an extra tang that stands out against the subtle flavors of risotto.
This recipe takes time. There’s no two ways about it. I have super fond memories of being right out of college and my roommate and I sipping on the wine that didn’t go in the pot, just catching up while she stirred the pot and made us dinner. She’s actually the one who taught me how to make risotto, and boy am I thankful! It’s so delicious, and somehow I feel classy knowing how to make it. There’s three keys to flavor in this dish: butter and cheese we’ve already addressed. But the sleeper here is the liquid. Wine and chicken stock. Of course you can swap out veggie stock if you’re looking vegetarian. But you want a dense and flavorful broth, nothing pansy. I also recommend using a broth or stock with some amount of salt in it. Low sodium is fine, but even that sometimes I’ll add a little salt to finish it at the end.
And the wine! People always say “cook with a wine you like to drink”! But to be honest, in my kitchen I love to cook with Chardonnay and yet I rarely reach for a glass of it to drink. Let’s be honest, I’ll never turn down a glass of wine, and there are chardonnays I enjoy—nothing against the varietal. I just find Chardonnay perfect for cooking since it has the buttery flavor that I think pairs really well with risotto and a lot of cooking dishes. Plus I’m cheap and if I find a Chardonnay I like then I do want to drink it straight. So I’ve found a couple of cheap Chardonnay’s I like to cook with that I don’t mind leaving in the fridge a little longer than I would a drinking wine. All that to say—pick whatever you like! Try out new varietals or use up that half bottle of wine in your fridge! You never know if you’ll like something til you try it! And reducing down wine in sauces and risotto just has such a nice concentrated flavor.
lightened up risotto;
Ingredients
- 1½ cups arborio rice
- 1½ cups riced cauliflower
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 1½ cups white wine I use sauvignon blanc or chardonnay, but use your personal favorite.
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add chicken stock to a medium pot and cover. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until ready for use.
- In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt 1Tbsp butter and olive oil.
- Add chopped onions and reduce heat to medium-low. When onions are cooked through, add the minced garlic and cook ~20 seconds.
- Add arborio rice to the pan and cook until clear with only a white dot in the middle; listen for a popping sound. Stir continuously.
- Add wine ½ cup at a time and stir constantly, until pulling your spoon through the mixture and liquid does not fill the empty space.
- Add heated chicken stock ½ cup at a time and cook until absorbed, using the same spoon test as for the wine.
- When adding the final 1 cup of stock, add the riced cauliflower and cook down using the same spoon test.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese and remaining butter.
