By Week 503. Fall 2025. I am 42 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like cinnamon and falling leaves and this is my life. This is the life I built.
I went for a run this morning — the Saturday routine, the greenbelt, the river, the particular meditation of feet on a path and lungs filling and the body doing what it was told it couldn't do. The running group meets rain or shine.
Mason is 14 and navigating middle school with the quiet competence that has always been his way — focused, kind, certain of who he is in a way that took me thirty years to achieve.
Lily is 12 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.
I made pumpkin bread this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.
The pumpkin bread was the anchor of the week — but it’s this roasted cauliflower, mushroom, and wild rice stuffing I keep coming back to, the kind of dish that belongs to this exact season, the one that smells like the greenbelt in October and tastes like something you’d want to eat after a long Saturday run. It’s the kind of food that doesn’t ask anything of you — just roast, stir, and let the oven do the work while the house fills up with warmth. That’s what I needed this week: a recipe that felt as steady and ordinary and quietly nourishing as the life I’ve built.
Roasted Cauliflower, Mushroom and Wild Rice “Stuffing”
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional, for sweetness)
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the wild rice. Combine wild rice blend and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40–45 minutes until rice is tender and broth is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Roast the cauliflower. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and caramelized at the edges.
- Sauté the aromatics and mushrooms. While cauliflower roasts, heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until softened. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook 1 minute more. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–8 minutes until mushrooms are tender and most of their liquid has evaporated.
- Combine everything. In a large mixing bowl (or directly in the skillet if large enough), combine the cooked wild rice, roasted cauliflower, and mushroom mixture. Stir in dried cranberries if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with chopped parsley and toasted pecans or walnuts if desired. Serve warm as a side dish or a light main.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 240 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 35g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 310mg