15 Minute Blue Cheese & Asparagus Cauliflower Risotto

This version of risotto uses cauliflower in place of rice to create an easy, fast but nutritious and vegetable rich dinner. Perfect for a fast meal it is adaptable to whatever you might have in your fridge at the moment!

I don't know about you Dear Reader, but my fridge is quite usually in a state of mess. Just today three packets of rice fell out when I was trying to retrieve some chocolate. Somewhere in the depths of it is a piping bag of pink buttercream icing and there are bits and pieces of experiments and offcuts of things. I have a habit of not throwing anything away because of course I might just need them.

The other day Mr NQN got home late from drinks and didn't bother checking the microwave for his dinner. I got a bit cross because organic chicken is expensive and he left about $9 worth uneaten. I try as much as I can to work every little bit and sometimes it can involve serving up strange things. And sometimes things can come together at the last minute and actually work!

This cauliflower risotto was a result of having gorgonzola cheese that had slid to the back of the fridge and then fallen onto the bottom shelf (the bottom shelf of no return, kind of like the black hole). I forgot about it and I only had two days left on it. I also had an enormous cauliflower in the crisper as they were very plentiful and cheap at the markets.

What I liked about this was the high vegetable component but also the quick cooking time. I didn't expect this to work out so easily or well. It was getting dark and once I tried it I liked it so much I snapped some quick pics so apologies if the pics aren't my best. You can use any sort of cheese in this really, I just happened to have that elusive packet of gorgonzola. I also added some asparagus of the slender, pencil thin variety so I didn't need to cook it but use any other vegetables that you like or just make it a cheese risotto! Best of all this whole thing can be yours in 15 minutes!

So tell me Dear Reader, is your fridge neat and tidy or is it chaotic? And do you have "no-go" areas or black holes in your fridge?

Cauliflower Risotto With Blue Cheese & Asparagus

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

Serves 1

• Oil for frying
• 1/2 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cups finely processed cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
• 50g of your favourite blue cheese
• 5 small fresh asparagus spears, sliced up

Step 1 - Put a kettle of water onto boil and once boiled, place the asparagus spears into the water.

Step 2 - Heat the oil in a frying pan on low to medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or so until softened. Add the cauliflower and the chicken stock and cook for 2-3 minutes until the stiffness is taken out of it. Add the mozzarella and the blue cheese and allow to melt.