I had plans to post something entirely different but I made this last night and it was such a delightful surprise that I had to post it instead. Unfortunately I didn’t think to take any pics until after I served it! So all I have is the one – sorry! I was experimenting with this dish and didn’t think I would post it…lesson learned to take pics no matter what!
So the highlight of this dish was definitely the cauliflower risotto. My hubby felt the risotto could serve as a stand alone dish but I will say that the scallops sure paired well with it. If you wanted, you could pair with chicken (even add the chicken, pre cooked, directly to the risotto) and/or mushrooms…it’s really whatever you’re in the mood for!
First things first… This dish DOES have dairy in it but it’s all compliant dairy. Meaning, it’s dairy with Casein A2 protein (not the bad A1 protein) and it’s all sourced directly from Italy. (Click here to read more about Casein A1 vs. A2 and why cheese imported from Italy is ok to eat on an anti-inflammatory diet). And while this dish has some high-fat dairy in it, at least it’s super low in carbs (I guess making it Keto friendly?) and the cauliflower keeps the calories in check.
Secondly, while I found this dish rather easy to make and not at all time consuming, I actually made the risotto earlier in the day. I left it covered and then simply heated it up when we were ready to eat. I also prepped the scallops in advance as well (left covered in the fridge). So when it was time to eat, there was hardly any work at all. So if you are looking to save time, you can totally do your prep work in advance.
INGREDIENTS
Remember to source organic ingredients wherever possible.
For the Cauliflower Risotto:
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 6-10 cloves garlic, minced (up to you how much garlic you want to include)
- 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger (add more if you’re a ginger fan and want an extra anti-inflammatory punch)
- 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
- A giant handful spinach, chopped (add more if you love spinach)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup full fat cream (if your cauliflower is excessively large you may want to add an extra 1/4 cup)
- 3 big spoonfuls ricotta (make sure to buy Italian imported)
- 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan (again, make sure the label reads imported from Italy)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops:
- 3-4 jumbo wild caught scallops per person (4-5 per person if small/medium sized)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- garlic powder
- salt & pepper
- juice from 1/2 lemon
For the Side Veg:
- your choice of broccoli, asparagus, broccolini, brussel sprouts…whatever suits your fancy!
DIRECTIONS
For the Cauliflower Risotto:
- purée cauliflower in food processor until it resembles chunky rice then microwave for 4 minutes (5 minutes if your cauliflower is super big)
- in a large pan (ideally a wok) over medium/high heat, sauté onions, garlic and ginger in 2 tbsp EV olive oil until onions are soft and aromatic (approximately 4 mins)
- add microwaved cauliflower rice to onion mixture
- stir in 1 tsp each salt and pepper then sauté rice another few minutes
- NB: The more you sauté the rice, the more tender/soft it will become. Some people like their cauliflower rice a little more al dente while some like it soft…I suggest to keep taste testing throughout the cooking process to see what you prefer.
- stir in cream
- then stir in ricotta until melted and well combined
- then add parmesan cheese and again, stir until melted and well combined
- then add spinach and cilantro, stir until well combined and allow dish to cook a few more minutes for spinach to wilt and soften a bit
- TASTE TEST and add extra salt/pepper if needed
- Serve hot
For the scallops:
- make sure scallops are patted dry with paper towel (dry scallops is key to making sure they are cooked to perfection), then sprinkle each with salt, pepper and garlic powder
- heat 1-2 tbsp of ghee in a pan on medium/high heat
- add scallops ONLY once pan is sizzling hot; cook each scallop 2-4 minutes per side
- drizzle with fresh lemon juice
For the side veg:
- this is really up to you… I simply steamed some broccolini and then quickly tossed it in the pan that I cooked that scallops in (to soak up that ghee and lemon juice mixture)
- I would suggest to pick a favourite green veg like asparagus or broccoli, then steam or roast to your liking; drizzle with leftover lemon juice and add a little pepper for flavour
As always, don’t hesitate to email me with any questions. And please message or comment @karliskitch if you make this! Would love to know.
Karli 🙂
