Cauliflower Rice Risotto with Tomato & Bacon

Cauliflower rice fans rejoice! This is our wholesome take on an Italian classic, brimming with crispy bacon and fresh, roast tomato… what are you waiting for??

Cauliflower rice has pretty much become a staple replacement for dishes that traditionally use grains or rice, especially with paleo, grain and gluten-free diets hitting critical mass. Heck, we’ve made “mashed potatoes” using cauliflower that you’d swear was made using potatoes. This is the beauty of food! You can get creative and create whatever flavors and textures your heart and palate desire. We absolutely love risotto, and I love making it even more than I do eating it. But then again, I’m kind of obsessed with cooking and cooking processes, and cooking risotto is one of those classic preparations that takes time and attention to detail, or it can turn into mush. There is no replacement for real risotto, and we would never suggest there is, but we can’t eat risotto everyday so we came up with this dish to give us a quick option when we’re craving risotto but don’t have the time or patience for the real thing. Also, vegetables. We mostly follow a paleo diet and do make exceptions every now and then for foods that have no paleofied version, so this dish is absolutely nourishing and energizing.

Cauliflower Rice “Risotto” with Tomato & Bacon

Serves: 2-4 | Prep Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups of “riced” cauliflower,
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 strips of bacon, cut into ½” strips
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ½ cup of Tomato & Spice Bone Broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated lemon zest and parmesan (for garnish)

METHOD

“Rice” the cauliflower by pulsing it several times in a food processor. Or, you can now find riced cauliflower in stores such as Trader Joes and Costco.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until desired doneness (we like crispy!). Remove bacon from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet,  add minced garlic and fry for a minute. Add a touch of cooking fat, ghee or oil, and stir in cauliflower

Cook the cauliflower until heated through but not mushy, stirring frequently (about 3 minutes).

Add bone broth and parmesan then stir thoroughly to incorporate

Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper and diced tomatoes.

Serve, topped with a bit of lemon zest, more parmesan, and the bacon bits!