Man oh man, where do I even start? Life is wonderful. I have a loving, beautiful and extremely supportive girlfriend who listens to my personal podcast of everything food and cooking (More like me rambling on and on). My son is healthy, energetic and happy. He is constantly smiling, especially when he helps us “redecorate” the house. My family is also always there, especially my brother. He is consistently going above and beyond to help me. I have friends who are driven and motivate me on a daily basis. I’m truly thankful. It might sound like I’m bragging and the truth is, these are all things that I am proud to boast about. To put the icing on the cake, Fall is officially here! This week’s recipe is a Cauliflower Risotto with Butternut Squash.
The leaves are changing, the temperature is no longer set on broil, and last but not least, the pumpkin infestation. Yes, the pumpkin infestation of everything. A Pumpkin Apocalypse. There are many people who are not exactly fans of pumpkin spice season. I, on the other hand, am a fan. This is actually my favorite time of the year. The temperature is nearly perfect and the colorful leaves paint a beautiful picture. It is harvest season, and also an indication that Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all very well on their way. What are the objects that signify autumn’s arrival? The pumpkin, turkey, squashes, and gourds. Out of all the squashes, butternut squash is probably my favorite. This leads me to my recipe today, which is a Cauliflower Risotto with Butternut Squash.
It is not really a risotto, we are using riced cauliflower instead of arborio rice. The cauliflower risotto makes a phenomenal side dish and can easily steal the spot light. We have all had side dishes that are so good that it could’ve been a dish all on its own. This is one of those dishes. My girlfriend, Devin, hates cauliflower (“it comes only second to lima beans in her veggie burn book,” she says) and she loves it. Even Devin’s dad, who is not a big veggie fan, really enjoyed it.
Paleo Cauliflower Risotto with Butternut Squash:
1 Head – Riced Cauliflower
1 Cup – Butternut Squash (Finely Diced)
½ Cup – Frozen Peas (Optional)
1 – Shallot (Diced)
4 Cloves – Fresh Garlic (Minced)
½ Cup – Mushrooms (Sliced)
2 Cups – Chicken Broth
¼ Cup – Gold Nugget Ghee
¹ Tbsp – Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To Taste – Fresh Ground Black Pepper
To Taste – Salt
½ Tsp – Parsley Flakes
1 Cup – Shredded Grass-Fed Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
¼ Cup – Roasted Pepitas
Let’s start by talking a little about our ingredients today. Cauliflower rice can now be purchased at places like Trader Joe’s, but if you don’t have a Joe’s near you, you will have to make it yourself. It is fairly easy to make if you have a food processor/blender. Break apart your head of cauliflower, put it in a food processor, fill with water, pulse blend until all big chunks are shredded, strain the liquid and you have your riced cauliflower. Here is a link to a video for those of you who are visual learners Video: How To Rice Cauliflower
Now, on to the butternut squash, you can easily substitute this with regular sweet potatoes or acorn squashes, whichever you prefer. I used canned mushrooms, but you are more than welcome to use fresh ones. As far as peas go, I know many who follow the paleo diet are on the fence about whether it is paleo friendly. I will leave that choice toyou, making the ingredient optional. Same goes for the parmesan cheese as well.
Risotto Instructions:
To make the cauliflower risotto, start by heating the ghee in a skillet on medium to medium high heat. As soon as the ghee is hot, stir in the garlic and shallots. Once the garlic is slightly golden, stir in your cauliflower and butternut squash. Stir fry it for a few minutes and pour in the chicken broth. Once the cauliflower and butternut squash is thoroughly cooked, or most of the chicken broth is absorbed and evaporated, add in mushrooms, peas, parsley flakes, pepita seeds, black pepper and salt. Mix for a minute or two until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the peas are cooked and no longer frozen. Now, you can turn off the stove and remove the skillet from the heat source and mix in the shredded parmesan. The residual heat from the pan and the cauliflower risotto will easily melt the cheese. The reason I like to remove from direct heat is that if cheese is cooked too long beyond their melting point, it can break (the cheese will separate).
Plate your cauliflower risotto, hit it with a slight drizzle of Kasandrinos EVOO, pair it with your choice of protein and that’s it. Depending on the size of your skillet, I recommend halving or quartering the ingredients and cooking them separately. This way, it makes it easier to control the consistency and not having to work ingredients in an over crowded pan. There you have it, Paleo Cauliflower Risotto with Butternut Squash. I hope you enjoyed the recipe, eat up my friends!
