Cauliflower is one of my favourite vegetables. I love it smothered in cheese sauce, in a curry, or in this case baked and stirred through a lovely risotto with blobs of creamy goat’s cheese melting on top.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 80g risotto rice
- A small glass white wine
- 600ml veg stock
- A small knob of butter, plus extra to serve
- A small handful grated veggie parmesan
- 1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 120g)
- 3 or 4 inner cauliflower leaves, whole
- A small handful pine nuts
- Olive oil
- 20g soft goat’s cheese
Instructions
- Put the cauliflower florets in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 180°C for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, start making the risotto. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cook until soft and translucent.
- Add the rice to the pan and toast, stirring a little for a couple of minutes, and then add the wine. Cook until evaporated.
- Gradually add the stock, a ladle-full at a time, stirring and cooking until each addition of stock is absorbed into the rice. It should take about 20 minutes at which point the rice should be tender but al dente. (You might not need all the stock, or you might need a little additional water.)
- Once the cauliflower has had 20 minutes cooking, remove it from the oven. Add the pine nuts to the baking dish. Rub each cauliflower leaf with some oil and sprinkle with salt, then lay over the cauliflower florets. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- When the risotto is ready, stir through most of the cauliflower florets and the pine nuts. Remove the pan from the heat and add a little butter and grated veggie-Parmesan. Mix it all together, then put a lid on the pan and leave for 2 minutes.
- Serve the risotto with the remaining florets and the cauliflower leaves on top, and then crumble the goats cheese all over.
London Vegetarian 