Cauliflower and mushroom risotto with broccoli slaw.

CHEF'S NOTE: The risotto is from Vegangela and was so rich and creamy.  The slaw is from my darling Carla - I salted the dressing (surprise).  As she says, just taste it until it feels right.


Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 450g mushrooms, chopped (I used just oyster, but any mix would be great)
• 1 head cauliflower, grated (either by hand or food processor)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 6 Tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegan margarine
• pepper, to taste
• truffle oil

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the mushrooms until tender; set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions and garlic for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
3. Add the cauliflower and wine, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the wine has evaporated.
4. Add the broth, reduce the heat and cover, letting it cook a few minutes. You’ll want the cauliflower to be “al dente” with a little texture so it isn’t just mush.
5. Meanwhile, pulse together the pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and salt until it forms a powdery consistency.
6. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and stir in the nut mixture until well combined. Stir in the margarine and season with pepper, to taste.
7. Stir in the mushrooms and drizzle some truffle oil on top before serving.

Serves 4-6 sides


BROCCOLI SLAW:

ingredients
2 heads of broccoli, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries, (you guessed it) roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, (to mix it up) finely chopped

buttermilk dressing
1/2 cup soy cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 tablespoons rice milk

method
1. Make buttermilk dressing by whisking together the cream cheese and vinegars.  Whisk in the first tablespoon of milk and taste to see (depending on what kind of milk you use you may only need 1 tablespoon). Dressing should be tangy and creamy. Whisk in another tablespoon of milk if need be or a little bit more apple cider vinegar. This dressing needs a bit of playing around with. Thin out with a little water if you need to.

2. Drizzle the dressing in the big salad bowl full of deliciousness. Toss to dress. This keeps for quite a few days.