Saffron Cauliflower Risotto with Butternut Squash and Pancetta

Today, I felt ambitious.  I saved the bones from yesterday’s roasted chicken and made the chicken broth according to the recipe in Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple.  Once the broth was ready to go, I dug through the fridge to figure out what was available.  I found cauliflower and I got inspired. 

One of my favorite dishes is risotto.  I absolutely love it.  A great risotto is one of the best things you can eat.  But in keeping with the dietary restrictions of my new favorite cookbook, I decided to see what kind of “mock” risotto I could come up with using the cauliflower. 

After a quick trip to Trader Joe’s to pick up some necessary items, I was ready to cook.  My inspiration for this particular recipe came from a few of my favorite chefs.  Specifically, I found traditional risotto recipes from Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten.  To be honest, tonight’s dinner did not get the careful thought and preparation that my cake received.  It was more of a “well, let’s just hope this works” mindset.  Fortunately, it turned out amazing!  My husband had no idea he was eating cauliflower!  We both thought the dish was far richer than expected and I think Chris’s biggest surprise was how moist the risotto was, despite looking quite dry.  So, let me break it down for you.

Ingredients:

¾ Cup Chicken Broth, Warm

1 Head of Cauliflower

Butternut Squash, cut up into bite size chunks (To be honest, I cheated and bought two bags of pre-cut squash from Trader Joe’s)

8 Ounces Pancetta

4 Garlic Cloves, Minced (Note: My garlic cloves were very small, so use 1 to 2 for normal to large sized garlic cloves.)

4 Stalks of Green Onion, Chopped. 

2 Tablespoons Ghee

½ Teaspoon Saffron *

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Olive Oil

Sliced Almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the butternut squash with a splash of olive oil.  Place in an oven safe dish and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until soft.

Garlic, green onion, and pancetta sautéed in ghee

Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until the consistency resembles rice.  Keep in mind the cauliflower florets may have to be done in batches. 

Meanwhile, sauté the garlic and three of the chopped green onions in two tablespoons of ghee, then add the 8 ounces pancetta.  Add the cauliflower rice and the ½ teaspoon of saffron to the garlic, green onion, and pancetta.  Pour the chicken broth into the mixture, little by little.  I only used about three-quarters of a cup of chicken broth.  Cook the cauliflower mixture for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.  Once the butternut squash is done and the cauliflower has absorbed the liquid, add the squash to the cauliflower risotto and mix.

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Top with the remaining, chopped green onion and sliced almonds for a little crunch.

  

The finished product tasted so much better than I expected!  Hope y’all enjoy it as much as we did!  And we had a lot left, so looks like tomorrow’s dinner is taken care of, too.

   

Finished Product!

Have y'all tried making any of these recipes?  Let me know what you think!

-Kim 

* In case you were unaware, saffron is essentially the Rolls Royce of the spice world.  Prepare yourself, it costs more than you would think.  That being said, just one thread of saffron goes a long way.  It is extremely flavorful and you will use it sparingly.