Cauliflower “Faux”-sotto- Recipe ReDux # 9

Now that the holidays are over and the New Year has arrived it is common for most of to re-evaluate our eating and try to get “back on track”.  I strongly feel that one of the best things that can be done along these lines is to EAT MORE VEGETABLES, namely the non-starchy ones! You really cannot go wrong with veggies- they are low in calories, high in fiber (to fill you up) and chock full of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant chemicals that have shown to provide many favorable health effects, such as chronic disease prevention). 

The Recipe ReDux Challenge for January is “A Trend in Every Pot” and we were encouraged to “take a trend and use it in a soup, stew, one-pot meal or Crock Pot recipe to warm up readers”.  Well two hot trends that are all the rage right now are cauliflower and alternative grains and the recipe I have created combines the two. Last week I posted a tutorial on hot to make Cauliflower “rice”- a great substitute for rice and grain replacement that is very nutritious and easy to make.  So for this month’s challenge I am bringing you one of my favorite ways to use cauliflower rice- in a risotto type fashion.  This one pot dish is much easier and faster to make than most risottos and it is much higher in fiber, lower in calories, is gluten-free and is sky high in nutrients as well. So whip up a batch of my Cauliflower “Faux”-sotto to work in this wonderful veggie into your next meal, and while you are at it check out the rest of Food Trend healthy recipes from the talented group of bloggers in the Recipe ReDux Group!

Ingredients:

4 cups cauliflower rice(see how to make this HERE)

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely sliced asparagus

4 cups sliced mushrooms

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

salt and pepper (optional)

parmesan cheese (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Coat a large pan or skillet with the 1 teaspoon olive oil, add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium-high heat until starting to brown (about 2-3 minutes). Add the mushrooms, asparagus and half of the broth (1/4 cup), cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring often.  Pour in the second half of the broth (1/4 cup), throw in the cauliflower and continue to cook about 4-5 minutes, until everything is lightly browned and slightly soft.

Makes 4.5 cups, about 4 servings

Serving size: a little over 1 cup Calories 80 Protein 5 g Carb 12 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 5 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 200  mg