Curried Cauliflower Risotto with Apples and Leeks

Thanks to an inspired suggestion from cooky last week, I just made this risotto. Very tasty. I'd describe it as warm and toasty with just a tiny bit of sweetness.


This is easy to make. Check it out.

For 2 meal-size servings (or 4 side-dish portions):

1 medium-sized cauliflower
1 large or 2 small leeks, cleaned, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
1 large apple (Fuji, honeycrisp, or Granny Smith would all be nice), peeled, cored, and diced
Mild curry powder--just keep it handy with a teaspoon nearby. In total you'll probably use 3 T, I just added it as I went.
2/3 cup arborio or carnaroli (risotto) rice
1/4 cup white wine
1 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pints of stock (can be chicken, veg, or a mix of both)
salt & pepper

First things:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put your stock on the stove. Add a spoon of curry powder to the liquid and bring it to a simmer.
  

1. Use your hands to break cauliflower off the stalk and into very small florets (big florets like you might usually eat won't mix into the risotto very easily)
2. Toss florets with salt, pepper, 1/2 of your olive oil, and a spoonful of curry powder.
3. Spread cauliflower in a single layer on a sheet pan (use foil for easy cleanup). Roast cauliflower in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until tender and toasty.
4. While cauliflower is roasting, heat butter and the rest of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks and stir/saute until softened but not brown. Season with salt and pepper, add apples and cook until they start to soften.
5. Add risotto to leeks and apples and stir, then add white wine and stir until the risotto has absorbed most of the wine. There should be very little liquid in the pan.
6. Using a ladle, add two measures of your simmering stock to the risotto. Stir gently but continuously until the liquid is absorbed, then repeat. You'll continue to repeat this step for roughly 18-20 minutes. You want to add liquid, stir, and cook until the risotto looks nice and creamy and tastes al dente (not crunchy, not mushy). As you add stock and stir, taste intermittently and add salt and pepper and more sprinkles of curry powder as you go until you're happy with it.

• Here's what it will look like when it's just about done:

7. Fold in 3/4 of the roasted cauliflower, then top with the rest for prettiness.
8. Dig in!