Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack (Review)
on May 28, 2024, Updated Jul 16, 2024
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Chef AJ created this Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack recipe while competing in an Iron Chef competition at True North Health Center. If you cannot guess what happened – SHE WON!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Hey there, foodie friends! Stephanie here, the head creator at Plantiful Table. Today, I’m beyond excited to dish on why we’re absolutely obsessed with Chef AJ’s Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack.
Let me tell you, when we’re not hustling in the kitchen whipping up culinary delights or knee-deep in Plantiful Table projects, we’re juggling multiple businesses like the pros we are. With so much on our plates (pun intended!), it’s crucial to us that our recipes are not only delicious but also practical. That’s where Chef AJ’s masterpiece comes in! This dish ticks all the boxes: it’s crafted from common ingredients and there is nothing difficult about it. Plus, the flavor explosion of the cauliflower risotto nestled between layers of savory sweet potato? Pure culinary bliss. So if you’re craving something hearty, wholesome, and hassle-free, this sweet potato stack is what you’ve been looking for!
Key Ingredients
In our Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack, each ingredient plays a crucial role, both in taste and nutrition.
- Cauliflower brings a creamy texture and subtle nutty flavor, packed with vitamins C and K, folate, and fiber. It is also a great low-calorie addition.
- Zucchini adds freshness and sweetness, low in calories but high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Much like cauliflower, it absorbs the flavor of anything you put on it. In this case, the sauce is where the amazing flavor comes from.
- Of course we have vibrant sweet potatoes that offer natural sweetness and hearty texture, bursting with vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Hearts of palm contribute a unique texture and subtle flavor, rich in fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
- Red bell pepper adds color, sweetness, and crunch, loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber and is the base of the flavorful sauce.
- Minced garlic brings savory depth and aromatic complexity, bringing immune-boosting properties and potential cardiovascular support.Concentrated sun-dried tomatoes provide umami flavor and tanginess, rich in vitamins C and K, antioxidants, and lycopene.
The Process
Let’s get to making the Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack:
Bake or roast the sweet potatoes whole by your desired method. You can bake them in the oven at 400° for 45 minutes or steam them in the Instant Pot. They take about 10 minutes in the Instant Pot. You could also microwave them for 3-5 minutes, depending on their size.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the cauliflower risotto. Start by finely chopping the cauliflower florets or pulsing them in a food processor until they resemble rice. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the shallot in water until translucent, then add the cauliflower rice and cook until softened. Next add the zucchini and hearts of palm and cook a bit more.
Make the sauce in the blender with the sauce ingredients. Leave the blender to run for a few minutes to heat up the sauce.
Once the sweet potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch slices. To assemble the stacks, place the sweet potato slices on a serving plate. Spoon the cauliflower risotto onto each potato slice.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you cannot find Hannah Yams (white sweet potatoes), use the orange variety.
- Roast or bake the sweet potatoes however you like. Use the oven, microwave or Instant Pot.
- If you cannot find cauliflower rice at the store (it’s either in the produce section or the freezer section), make your own by pulsing a head of cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice in size and texture.
- If you cannot find water-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you can use oil-packed. Rinse them really well in hot water to remove as much oil as possible.
- This recipe calls for hearts of palm OR water chestnuts. We used hearts of palm and did not test the recipe using water chestnuts. I imagine the water chestnuts added a delightful crunch to the risotto! Use whichever one you want. Water chestnuts might be easier to find at your grocery store.
- Spice warning – chipotle chili powder can be hot! Ours turned out just a tad spicier than we would have liked – next time, I will back it down to ¼ teaspoon. Adjust it to suit your taste.
- When making the sauce in the blender, be sure to let it run for a few minutes to heat up the sauce. You will see the steam form as it’s blending.
- To save time, you could skip peeling the potatoes and cutting them into slices. Just top baked sweet potatoes with the cauliflower risotto!
Keepin’ It Fresh: How to Store the Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack
Allow the leftovers to completely cool and come to room temperature in a glass dish before putting the lid on and placing in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cauliflower risotto will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
We did not test the freezing of this dish, however, we believe it would freeze very well. The recipe makes a lot. So you could freeze single servings to keep on hand for a quick weekday lunch or dinner.
Yes! We adore the flavor combination using sweet potatoes, but I’m sure using white potatoes will still be delicious.
This is much easier than you think! You can sauté vegetables with water or vegetable broth in a non-stick pan OR in a stainless steel pan, but with the latter, you must heat the pan to very hot to keep it from sticking. I prefer to use my non-stick Green Pan, as I get a little more control sautéing more slowly. When the vegetables get a little dry and start to stick, add water or broth a tablespoon at a time. You want them to get happy – caramelly and yummy. Don’t add too much water or that will be the same as boiling your vegetables and that does not build flavor like the sauté process. With practice, you’ll wonder why you needlessly used oil all those years!
Cauliflower Risotto Sweet Potato Stack (Review)
Ingredients
- 2 orange yams
- 2 Hannah yams, white sweet potatoes
Risotto
- 1 shallot
- 8 ounces zucchini, grated
- 12 ounces cauliflower, riced
- 1 tsp salt-free seasoning, Benson's Table Tasty
- 1 (12 oz) can hearts of palm, or water chestnuts, finely chopped
Sauce
- 1 large red bell pepper, 8-10 oz
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 ounces cauliflower, riced
- ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup unsweetened plant milk of your choice
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chipotle chili powder, or less to your taste
Instructions
- Roast and cool the yams and then peel.
- Water sauté the shallot until translucent. Add the cauliflower and cook until soft. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, if it becomes dry.
- Add zucchini and hearts of palm (or water chestnuts) and cook briefly. Remove from heat and make the sauce.
- Add red bell pepper, garlic, 4 oz cauliflower, sun-dried tomatoes, plant milk, smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Let the blender run for a few minutes to heat the sauce.
- Add sauce and Benson’s salt-free seasoning to the cauliflower/zucchini mixture and heat it through.
- To plate: Cut the potatoes into 1″ slices. If you cooked your yams previously, you may want to reheat them before plating.
- Place yam slices on a plate, alternating the white and sweet yams. Place a scoop of the risotto filling on top of each slice.
The Verdict
This recipe was straight up delicious. I photographed the dish for the blog and then ate the whole plate. Chef AJ has done it again creating a flavorfully diverse dish that is both hearty and satisfying. And did I mention healthy, too? It’s shocking to me that something this delicious contains no oil or added salt. Home run for the chef, for sure!
