Low Carb Cauliflower Risotto

Low Carb Cauliflower Risotto - made July 28, 2018

I made up this recipe. I don't normally since I'm an uninspired cook but I was looking through so many recipes on pinterest for cauliflower risotto that all looked so similar but I was inevitably missing one ingredient or the other from each one. So I decided to just make do with what I had. Measurements are not exact since I don't remember them exactly and didn't write them down. Now I understand the freedom real cooks have when they just "throw something together".

Oh wait, no, you're not reading the wrong blog. I ate a vegetable. Not my version of "vegetable" which generously includes corn and potatoes - and French fries when I'm in a mood - but an honest to goodness vegetable that has nutrients instead of starch and empty calories. It's really me *waves*. I bought one of those boxes of riced cauliflower from Costco in a fit of nutritional virtue and needed to do something with them. Unlike the last time I bought a pack from Trader Joe's then hung onto it until it went bad. Oops.

I've never been a fan of cauliflower. Never liked the smell when it was cooking. But the riced version looks so un-cauliflower-like and I've been trying to low carb so I thought I'd give it a shot. Surprisingly, this turned out okay. I know, that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement but, hello, me and vegetables. If I can eat it, it's already miles ahead of other vegetables. Although I'm not going to lie, the cheeses helped. A lot. The key to this one is to cook the riced cauliflower enough to really soften it. It doesn't have much flavor in and of itself and I'm not gonna lie, that helped me eat it. I added some hamburger for protein and presto, low-carb dinner.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces riced cauliflower
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Tuscan Sunset spice (Penzey's) for garnish, optional

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Saute riced cauliflower and garlic until softened, 5-10 minutes. 
2. Add heavy cream, mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, stirring until combined and cheeses have melted. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Garnish with Tuscan Sunset or any other Italian-style seasoning if desired. Serve warm.