Cauliflower Grits with Roasted Mushrooms and Walnuts

This recipe just called to me but I didn't have all the ingredients or the amounts it needed so I tweaked it to use what I had at home. I also jazzed up the seasonings in the grits a little more, for me they were a bit bland in the original recipe.

It turned out amazing! The moment I finished photographing it I had a spoonful in my mouth and ended up finishing the plateful!! The rich and cheesy cauliflower grits are balanced with the earth and smoky mushrooms and the crunchy walnuts add great contrasting texture. This is the dish if you want to impress guests or just treat yourself and family. It is very rich so only a small serving is very satisfying.

I haven't tried it but I bet the grits could be made ahead of time and rewarmed so only the roasted mushrooms and walnuts would need to be made right before serving.

Make sure you use fresh rosemary. I'm afraid roasting dried rosemary would make them into tough little twigs. Trust me on this, you might want to double the recipe so you can have leftovers. :-)

Roasted Mushroom and Walnuts Cauliflower Grits 5.5 net carbs per serving (1/4 of the recipe) 4 oz. sliced baby portobello/crimini mushrooms 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (not too finely chopped) 1-1/2 lg. garlic cloves, minced 1-1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (use fresh do not substitute dried) Unrefined sea salt 2 tsp. olive oil Cauliflower Grits 1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen cauliflower rice 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk or any unsweetened plant based milk 3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 tbsp. butter 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt or to taste Garlic powder, onion powder and white pepper to taste Chopped fresh rosemary for garnish 1. Heat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, walnuts, garlic smoked paprika, rosemary, and salt to taste; mix to coat. Add oil; mix well. Taste and adjust salt 2. Spread the mixture evenly on the cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and walnuts are toasted; cover and keep warm. For the Cauliflower Grits 1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cauliflower and water; cover and cook on medium heat until cauliflower is tender but nut mushy, adding a small amount of water, if necessary. It should be the texture of coarse grits. Add heavy cream and almond milk; stir and simmer on medium-low heat, uncovered, until cauliflower is desired texture and cream is lightly bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese and butter; cook until cheese is melted and smooth and grits are thickened to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt (starting with 1/2 teaspoon) and garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. 2. Spoon mushroom mixture over grits; sprinkle with chopped rosemary and serve. Servings: 4 Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (8.4 ounces). Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. "To taste" ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data. The salt used in the nutritional analysis is 1/2 teaspoon. Amount Per Serving Calories 286.9 Total Fat 24.95g Saturated Fat 11.7g Cholesterol 57.02mg Sodium 441.68mg Potassium 416.93mg Total Carbohydrates 9.21g Fiber 3.75g Sugar 3.65g Protein 9.82g