Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Risotto - GF and Dairy Free

 

3 of the 4 of the Gutierrez family are sensitive to dairy so I am always looking for ways to make yummy meals with little to no dairy products. This recipe tastes so rich and creamy without any of the milk or cheese that is usually found in a risotto. Risotto has the most wonderful silky texture that comes from slowly cooking the rice while stirring the whole time. I had a giant organic head of cauliflower that I had roasted and thought that it would go great in a risotto... so I threw this together and loved the results. 

I LOVE roasted cauliflower! Steamed cauliflower is bland and mushy but when roasted it magically caramelizes and has a nutty sweetness to it that is wonderful! The other main ingredient in this risotto is a vegetable pureed soup base from Trader Joe's that contains no dairy but gives it the rich consistency that cream would. Any pureed soup would be great in this recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower Risotto

1 large cauliflower roasted- (cut into bite sized pieces and roasted in a large rimmed baking pan at 375 F drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with garlic salt, paprika, parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper) set aside half of the roasted cauliflower for the risotto.

12 oz. Arborio rice

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/2 large onion diced

4 cups  pureed soup base

4 cups chicken broth

4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

2 T. fresh chopped parsley

In a large pan saute onion and rice over medium heat until translucent, about 5 min. Add one cup of the chicken stock stirring until absorbed. Add soup base and remaining stock one cup at at time, stirring each addition until almost absorbed before adding the next cup. The key is to keep the heat at a simmer and to stir continuously until the rice is soft and creamy but not mushy(20-30 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pine nuts and parsley and top with crumbled bacon. Enjoy~ serves 4

Radicchio Christmas Salad

This salad is simple and delicious and the color is perfect for a Christmas dinner side. Radicchio is a beautiful bitter lettuce, so a sweet dressing and the cranberries pair perfectly. The fennel and the walnuts add a yummy crunch- hope you enjoy :) 

Christmas Salad

1 large red Radicchio finely chopped
1 pear finely sliced
1 small fennel bulb finely sliced or shaved on a mandolin
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts toasted
1/4 cup each: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apple butter

combine all ingredients, serves 4

Quinoa Salad

As my husband says "Quinoa is all the rage" and it should be :) it's a great grain with awesome health benefits and it's very versatile!

Here's my take on a Quinoa Salad that I loved for lunch ( and so did my boys )

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, cooked and set aside

1 can sliced beets

2 carrots grated

1 large bunch Rapini trimmed and blanched for 5 min. Then saute in garlic and oil for another 5 min

1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/8 cup seasoned olive oil

2 T Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

whisk ingredients all together or blend in a small blender

Combine salad ingredients and dressing. Chill for 1 hour or serve room temperature.

Polenta with Veggie Marinara

This is great as a main dish or side to your favorite Italian meal. It can also be gluten free and is perfect for a leftover meal the next day.

Polenta with Veggie Marinara

1-2 tubes polenta cut into 1/2 to 1 inch rounds.  Dredge each round in a mixture of bread crumbs and herbs (can be made gluten free using gluten free bread crumbs). Heat a few tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown each side of the polenta rounds, about 5-8 minutes per side. Place browned rounds in a large casserole pan. While the rounds are browning, in a separate pan saute veggies of your choice with garlic and onions. When veggies are soft stir in 1 jar of your favorite marinara and some fresh basil and italian parsley. Pour veggie mixture over the polenta.  

(Top with shredded parmesan or mozzarella if desired, with or without cheese it’s great!) Bake at 350F until hot and yummy ( about 10-15 min.) Can be made ahead and reheated.

Rhubarb Strawberry Apple Compote

I love the change of seasons and seeing what fun new things come in my produce delivery! I was so excited to get some Rhubarb this week- it always reminds me of my Oma and Opa who grow tons of it in their garden. 

This sweet/tart compote comes together quickly and is so delicious just eaten like applesauce or you can serve it over lots of different things- oatmeal, ice cream, grilled chicken or pork, toasted bread or like we did, on some GF pancakes :)

Rhubarb Strawberry Apple Compote

In a large pot combine 3 large Rhubarb stalks chopped, 5 apples peeled and diced, 1 small basket strawberries halved, 1/4 cup raw honey and 1/4 cup apple juice. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer until fruit breaks down and apples are soft. ( about 30 min)

Sweet Potato Knot Rolls

These are just delicious and so much fun to make! They are worth the trouble...light, moist and they go great with anything. I think they would be pretty for Easter Sunday.

I made them to go with some soup the other night, and were yummy warmed as a snack with honey :)

Despite their name, you can't taste the sweet potato. It just adds a fabulous texture and keeps the rolls from being dry. Also, there is something so satisfying about making bread from scratch. Nothing beats fresh bread from your own oven!

On another note, I put the dough together in the bowl of my Kitchen Aid mixer using the dough hook to add in the flour and knead it. It comes together in a snap without getting your hands dirty. Get out those dough hooks girls!

( recipe compliments of Cooking Light)

Sweet Potato Knot Rolls

1 package dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

1 can sweet potatoes, mashed

3 T butter melted, divided

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

5 cups bread flour, divided

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 F

Dissolve yeast in milk in large bowl, let stand 5 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, 1 T butter, salt, and egg yolks stirring with a whisk.

Add 4 1/2 cups flour, stir until soft dough forms.

Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Add enough of remaining flour to prevent dough from sticking to hands. ( dough will feel very soft and tacky)

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size. Gently press 2 fingers into dough, if indentation remains, dough has risen enough. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into 24 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 9 in. rope and shape into a knot, tucking top end under the roll, placing rolls on prepared sheets. Lightly coat rolls with cooking spray, cover and let rise 30 min. or until doubled in size.

Uncover and bake 11-15 minutes until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped.

Remove rolls from pans to wire racks and brush rolls with remaining melted butter.

Serve warm