Mushroom Ragout with Cauliflower Polenta

Mushroom ragout is a healthy and hearty dish that is ideal for a busy weekday night. It is light, completely vegetarian, and full of flavors!

We used brown mushrooms in this mushroom ragout recipe, but you are welcome to substitute them with any kind of mushrooms available, a mixture of different kinds can be even more interesting! Feel free to experiment! Mushrooms tend to absorb a lot of flavor while they cook, so by adding sun-dried tomatoes, spring onions and spices while cooking them you will add more taste to the final dish. You can try to experiment and add other kinds of vegetables to this mushroom ragout, but since this recipe already calls for a decent amount of cauliflower, we decided to keep accent on the mushroomy taste and not overwhelm the dish with other flavors.

A good way to enjoy mushroom ragout is on top of a bowl of polenta (an Italian dish made from ground cornmeal). lightened up by cauliflower rice, which makes this dish even healthier and richer in nutrients! You can cook polenta using plain water, but suggest using chicken or vegetable broth instead (depending on your vegetarian preferences) as it will infuse the dish with lots of flavor. For this recipe, we added riced cauliflower to polenta and the broth to cook all ingredients together. The cauliflower flavors don’t overwhelm the polenta, but rather add more pleasant texture and vibe. The turmeric adds the yellow color and it’s inflammation friendly, so we definitely recommend keeping it part of the recipe. The melted butter and cheese add richness and help make the dish taste delicious. Don’t forget to finish the cauliflower polenta with some Parmesan cheese, it makes the dish creamier and adds a nice salty bite.

1. Cut cauliflower into florets. Add florets into a food processor in batches, and pulse the pieces until you get fine cauliflower rice.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the minced garlic and let it cook for about 30 seconds to release the fragrance. Next, add the cauliflower rice and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add cornmeal to the frying pan, pour in chicken or vegetable broth and stir to mix everything together. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes. If you find that cornmeal has absorbed all the liquids before it becomes softened, add water, about 1/2 cup at a time and stir well. Add the thyme, butter, turmeric, parmesan cheese and salt and stir until the ingredients have blended well. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid while you cook the mushrooms.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a separate pan. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, spring onions, chili flakes, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt and black pepper on top. Cook for a couple of minutes to let the mushrooms absorb the flavors.

5. Dish up cauliflower polenta into bowls and top with some mushroom ragout. Sprinkle a bit of fresh parsley on top. Serve immediately.

Chef’s tips:

● Making cauliflower rice in batches works much better than throwing all the florets into a food processor at once. You will avoid overcrowding the bowl and ending up with some big chunks.
● If you want to go vegan leave out the cheese and use vegan buttery spread instead of regular butter. You can also substitute the broth with coconut milk to preserve the creaminess.