Disclaimer: This delicious Creamy Cauliflower Risotto recipe was developed in a paid partnership with Nobilo Wines and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). All partnerships we promote align with our core nutrition values and teachings. And, all opinions in this post are genuine. You can find more about our NN Approved Healthy Brands here.
There’s nothing quite like a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a beautiful food spread that brings friends and family together. There’s also nothing quite like the topic of sustainability as a conversation piece at the dinner table.
We are yet to visit a dinner party where people are opposed to learning more about environmentally friendly and sustainable practices when it comes to their food and wine.
We are all for enjoying life’s little pleasures (like chocolate, wine and a satisfying meal), but one of our major motivators for the food brands and products that we purchase is sustainably sourced, as well as simple ingredient lists.
No funny fillers, no mass farming, and nothing that our great grandparents wouldn’t eat.
Identifying, shopping for and combining the best of land and sea for a creamy cauliflower risotto dish with scallops and sausage that really bursts with flavor, well that’s something to talk about.
HOW TO LOOK FOR SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD
Enjoying food doesn’t have to be complicated, as a matter of fact the ‘rules’ we apply to shopping for seafood are pretty simple:
- We choose local and in season produce when possible
- We support our local community, farmers and fisheries
- We choose sustainable methods of production that protect the environment, its habitat and our future generations
Lately sustainability has become a huge seller when we’re on the hunt for seafood. Overfishing, waste dumping and the destruction of our ocean ecosystems is endangering the world’s fish species, and all of this has a domino effect on our lives.
For this reason, in the late 1990s the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was created with a goal to continuously monitor, create and assess the health of our oceans and its habitats. It also aims to make it easy for us to choose and be able to enjoy our favourite seafood.
“Sustainability is about our future.” – MSC
MSC certified seafood can be found in over 100 countries, for all budgets and tastes. It’s available for fresh, frozen as well as canned seafood products like salmon, tuna, cod, scallops, shrimps and more! In Canada, you can find MSC certified products in Loblaws, Sobeys, Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart and many other retailers that may vary according to your location.
All you have to do is look for the MSC Blue Fish label that means that the fishery where your food is coming from abides by the highest standards and practices for sustainable fishing. The label should have this stamp on it:
HOW TO LOOK FOR SUSTAINABLE WINE
Sauvignon Blanc is one of our favourite wines to drink and we’re hooked on finding wines from the Marlborough region of New Zealand as this location is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc (sorry, France).
The intensity and richness of the soil combined with the perfect climate creates the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc that we’re using to make and enjoy with our creamy cauliflower risotto with scallops and sausage. It brings out some acidity in the creamy dish, and is light and crisp for pairing with.
Nobilo’s Award Winning Wines have been around since 1943, and apart from providing great value for the price, they focus their wine making process on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices such as using less water, composting and reducing their gas emissions. Nobilo is also certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.
You can find Nobilo Wines in the New Zealand section at retailers across Canada including LCBO, Sobeys and Loblaws (Ontario), BC Liquor Stores and private retailers. If you live in the US or anywhere else in the world, you can use the store locator here.
PULLING THIS CREAMY CAULIFLOWER RISOTTO RECIPE TOGETHER
The idea of a creamy cauliflower risotto with scallops and sausage was actually sparked by the idea of sustainability.
With wine sourced from sustainable farming practices in New Zealand, scallops sourced from the wild in Argentina and organic sausages purchased from our local organic farms, this dish really makes us feel all of the feels (full circle).
One thing we suggest is to go into your sustainable dishes with an open mind. Not every grocery store may have Argentinian scallops, so instead do what you can and get creative with your ingredients, letting the availability to the MSC label guide your decision and palette.
We’d love to hear about your experience with sustainable purchasing practices.
Creamy Cauliflower Risotto with White Wine, Scallops & Sausage
Ingredients
- 400 grams Argentinian Frozen Scallops, about 70 small scallops *look for the MSC Certified Logo beside the ingredients
- 2 large sausages spicy, organic
- 1/2 onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 - 2/3 cup Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc *see notes for dietary guidelines
- 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or almond, soy, oat if you don’t like the taste of coconut milk
- 1 large head cauliflower riced (about 5-6 cups)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4-5 Tbsp ghee organic butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese *see notes
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Garnish: green onion
Directions
- Cook sausages in a sauce pan over medium until cooked through, set aside. In the same pan (using sausage grease and 1 Tbsp of olive oil) cook scallops for 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Set aside with sausage.
- Meanwhile in a medium sized pot heat over medium and add the butter. Once melted (not burned) add onion and garlic and 1/4 tsp sea salt and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir in cauliflower rice and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the white wine and cook down another 2 minutes. Then add in 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, plus another 1/4 tsp sea salt and cook until the cauliflower dries up a bit. Keep adding 1/2 a cup at a time and cooking slowly until cauliflower softens (about 15 – 20 minutes).
- Add in the coconut milk and cook another 5 minutes, until it reduces a little bit and the cauliflower looks creamy (not soupy). Fold in in parmesan cheese, sausage and scallops.
- **For dairy-free version, instead of the parmesan cheese sprinkle 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch on the dish after adding the sausage and scallops to bind ingredients together.
Recipe Notes
Notes: - For Paleo, Keto & Whole 30 you may want to replace the white wine for apple cider vinegar, but you won’t need as much *try 2 Tbsp to start and then add 1 Tbsp at a time until desired taste. - If you’re keeping this dairy-free or Paleo, remove parmesan cheese and use 1 Tbsp of tapioca flour instead.
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