Cheese & Cauliflower “Risotto”

I wanted something quick, meatless, and gluten-free for dinner on a Friday night during Lent (and during a Pandemic, which is why we couldn’t go out for dinner!). This takes about an hour total to prepare, and serves four.

  • 1 medium head of Cauliflower, bottom stem and leaves removed
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup celery, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Cups mixed leftover cheese bits, shredded (I used cheddar, fontina, chèvre, mozzarella, and a dollop of mascarpone).
  • 4 – 6 eggs
  • Minced parsley for garnish

Hard cook the eggs (you can’t beat 4 minutes in the InstaPot on “steam”), and cool in an icewater bath.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter, and add the onions and celery and sauté until translucent over medium heat. While that’s going on, cut the cauliflower into chunks, and run through your food processor’s shredding disc. It will come out mostly rice-like, with some longer shreds from the stems. It’s fine. Relax.
Add the cauliflower to the pan, and turn up the heat. Stir to mix well, and add the wine. Put the lid on the pan to capture the steam and cook the cauliflower, for about 15 minutes. If it starts to look too dry, splash in a little water.
When the cauliflower is tender but still al dente, lower the heat, add the cream and the cheese, and stir to combine. When the cheese melts and forms a sauce, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, if it looks too wet. Salt to taste.
Place in four shallow bowls, top with sliced egg, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with a nice salad. Done