Red Pesto Chicken Risotto - Low Carb & THM S

As I mentioned a couple of weeks back, I'm following the Trim Healthy Mama plan to lose weight and become the healthiest version of myself I can be. 

Now, my kids love risotto and request it often. However, a traditional risotto recipe doesn't exactly fit in with the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating, what with all its carbs mixed with fat in the one recipe. That's why I've developed my own low-carb risotto by substituting cauliflower rice for calrose rice. I've made this recipe a few times now, and each time a little bit differently, but it always tastes great. (I still make the regular risotto for the rest of the family.)

I made of point of noticing my measurements when I made this recipe tonight, so I could share the recipe with you. Please do note that this is a very forgiving recipe (cheese covers a multitude of culinary sins), so if you have more vegetables than I've listed, feel free to add them.

Red Pesto Chicken Risotto (Low Carb & THM S)

Serves two to three. 

Ingredients

• 2Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 chicken breast or chicken thigh, or a handful of shredded leftover roast chicken
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 400g frozen cauliflower rice (or a medley of cauliflower and broccoli rice)
• 2 cups of other frozen vegetables, eg. sweet corn, red capsicum, spinach, zucchini, peas
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 2Tbsp sun dried tomato pesto (or 3Tbsp basil pesto)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C fan bake.
2. Prepare your ingredients: Finely dice the onion; cut the chicken into 1cm pieces; mince the garlic; cut the spinach up as finely as possible, dice other frozen vegetables up to roughly match the size of the frozen corn. 
3. Drizzle cooking oil into a frying pan heated to a medium heat and sautee the diced onion for a couple of minutes to slightly soften it before turning the heat up to a medium high and adding the chicken. Lightly brown the chicken on one side before flipping it and allowing it to seal on the other side. (If using leftover shredded roast chicken, add it at the same time as the chicken stock.)
4. Add the garlic, cauliflower rice and other frozen vegetables to the pan and stir to combine with the chicken and onion.  Cook in the pan for five minutes, stirring every now and again to soften all the vegetables. 
5. Add the two cups of chicken stock and the salt and pepper and stir through. Bring the chicken stock mixture to a simmer and allow to cook for a further minute before transferring the contents of the pan into an oven-safe rectangular casserole dish. 
6. Stir through the half cup of Parmesan cheese and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. (Reserve the over half cup of cheddar cheese for the end.)
7. Place casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Remove casserole dish from the oven and stir through the 2Tbsp of sun dried tomato pesto. Sprinkle the top of the risotto with the remaining cheese and place back into the oven to cook for a further five minutes, or until the cheese on top has melted. 

Serve immediately.