23 November 2013

Roasted Cauliflower, Sage, and Almond Risotto - IHCC




Do you ever fold the corner down on a page when you just have to remember where you left off ? I try really hard not to, but I'll admit that sometimes I will dog-ear a page ...



And speaking of dogs, my dogs are exhausted and I am ready for SB to come home and rescue me from all the wood hauling and fire-tending and Frisbee throwing and dish washing and poking about at household projects! He has been away for the past week on his annual hunting jaunt with his brothers and friends ... which has left me to hold down the fort.

I have spent my time getting my jobs done for the annual little church holiday fair ...baking, crafting, doing publicity flyers and news articles, putting together a raffle basket around the theme of  ' getting the guest room ready'. All this plus all of the above ... tonight, the fair is a fait accompli, the fires are roaring, the wood box is full, there is snow swirling now and then, and I am in need of the simplest dish of warmth I can find.

A bowl of risotto will be perfect. I have a glass of Cabernet going. Standing over the warm stove, stirring risotto is relaxing. I am glad I dog-eared Donna Hay's recipe for roasted cauliflower and risotto a few weeks back. It has saved my skin tonight ...




Seriously, this is about all the energy I have left tonight ... just enough to whack up part of a head of cauliflower, rip and mince some sage leaves, chop a bit of onion and stand like a zombie in front of the bubbling pan of rice while the cauliflower roasts in the oven. I even let the hot roasting pan roast the almonds ... passive preparation.

That being said, the dish came together so well and so easily. This is JUST what I needed this evening .




I plan to sleep in tomorrow and with this warm bowl of goodness, I know I'll rest easy. Cheers, all!

Roasted Cauliflower, Sage, and Almond Risotto
adapted from a Donna Hay recipe

Ingredients:

1 small head cauliflower (500 g)
2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper for sprinkling
¼ c. slivered almonds, toasted
1 bunch sage , leaves picked and sliced to thin ribbons
3 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, small dice
1 ½ c. Arborio rice
½ c. dry Sherry
4-5 cups strong chicken stock, plus some water if necessary
½ c. finely grated Asiago cheese
Slivers of strong Parmesan –Reggiano cheese for garnish (optional)

Making the Dish:

  1. Chop the cauliflower into small florets and toss with the olive oil and some Kosher salt and black pepper. Place on a large roasting pan … give the pieces room to roast.
  2. Place in the oven and set the temperature for 425 °F. Roast for ten to 15 minutes or until the pieces are browned and tender-crisp. Remove the pan and toss the slivered almonds onto the hot pan. Set aside and let the nuts toast.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the butter and onions and cook until the onions glisten – about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the rice and stir around to coat the rice granules with the butter and onion juices.
  6. Add the Sherry and let the pan sizzle with the rice, stirring to get all the rice covered with the Sherry.
  7. Add some of the broth, lower the heat to achieve a gentle bubbling simmer and stir frequently. When almost all the first batch of chicken stock has been absorbed, add the sage leaves and some more chicken stock. Continue stirring off and on until you can add the rest of the stock.
  8. When almost all the stock has been absorbed, taste the rice. It should have a bit of a ‘bite’. If it is still too firm, add a bit of water and continue to cook gently.
  9. Add the Asiago cheese and stir to melt and form a creamy sauce.
  10. Turn the risotto onto shallow bowls, top with the cauliflower and almonds and addition sage leaves.
Optional: Top with shavings of a strong cheese like Parmesan Reggiano or Tallegio.




 This simple supper is being shared with IHCC's Potluck entries for November's Potluck. While I could post a recipe from any of the previous IHCC chefs, I have been so happy with Donna Hay's recipes, that I'll continue with her work this month. Head over and see what others have chosen to share, though! 






8 comments:

  1. Such a lovely and comforting satisfying meal!
    It looks really delicious!
    Enjoy your day!

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  2. I clearly don't cook near enough with cauliflower, and I need to do something about that soon as it is on sale all the time this time of year...this recipe is going to be a great place to start. You have a very nice photo of it, I would think it would be hard to get a really nice photo with the colors in this, but you did an excellent job of it! Nice choice.

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  3. Wow--that roasted cauliflower, sage and almond combination looks amazing--especially on top of creamy risotto. What a fabulous dinner! ;-)

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  4. Oh yes! This recipe is really speaking to me right now. Roasted cauliflower risotto with the beautiful autumnal flavor of sage. It just seems like a magical combination of ingredients. Pinning this to try!

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  5. That dish sounds so delicious and comforting. What a great idea to add roasted vegetables to a cooked risotto and then almonds as a very nice, final touch.

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  6. This sounds like the perfect dish. Roasted cauliflower risotto has to be made.

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  7. Can imagine how comforting that bowl of food must be when you are exhausted. Wonderful choice.

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  8. There is nothing more relaxing and therapeutic than just standing, preferably with a glass of wine in one hand, and stirring risotto. I'm totally psyched by the addition of roasted cauliflower though. I adore roasted cauli - one of my favourite veggies - but I never would have thought to add it to risotto. It's definitely going to happen around here sometime soon.

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