So tomorrow is my 31st birthday. 30 was really easy for me...31 on the other hand is causing me problems. So why not spend my last night as a 30 year old posting my first blog. This is something I have always wanted to do and after a little soul searching and a photography class decided this was the right thing to do! I have no idea why but there is nothing that a little risotto and wine around the christmas tree can't fix.
I have been for the majority of the past month eating a plant-based vegan diet and really love it (we are going to forget that Thanksgiving ever existed). I find it to be energizing and completely interesting to cook. So I am eating no meat or dairy...my boyfriend Dan only eats meat and dairy..this blog is dedicated to the craziness that is our meal-time. Some how we make it work. Each meal I will let you know what type of cuisine it was, even throw in some suggestions to make it gluten free, or even non-vegan if that's your style. This blog is for everyone, making gourmet food out of simple ingredients you can find in most major supermarkets. Most of my shopping is done at Trader Joe's or Jewel(the local supermarket in Chicagoland).
With that said, this risotto is both vegan, gluten free, and low in fat as I use very small amounts of oils in my cooking. But trust me, it has every ounce of flavor that one full of butter and parmesan cheese would have and you don't have to feel guilty after enjoying it. Hooray! I am thinking I might try turning them into risotto cakes with the leftovers...stay tuned.
Wild Mushroom, Asparagus and Sage Risotto
2 shallots, finely chopped
½ dry white wine - I use a wine that I will drink although I use half a cup and the whole bottle goes missing
1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
1 ½ cups rehydrated dried wild Mushrooms – roughly chopped (let them sit in hot water for about 15 minutes to rehydrate)
8 stalks of asparagus – roughly chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage
6 cups vegetable broth – I use low sodium as I want to be in control of how much salt is going in there!
2 tablespoon olive oil
In a saucepan, warm the broth. Usually put this on low heat as you don’t want to boil it.
In a large sauce pan on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add mushrooms, asparagus, sage and a dash of sea salt. Cook until the mushrooms are soft, typically 3-5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.
Add additional tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the chopped shallots. Cook until the shallots appear translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat. After 5 minutes, or when the rice starts to take on a golden color, add the white wine. Stir until all the wine has been absorbed.
Stirring constantly, add a ½ cup of broth in at a time until it is absorbed by the rice. Continue this until the rice is cooked and the mixture has taken on a creamy texture. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add in the mushrooms asparagus and sage. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately (although the leftovers of this are sometimes better than the original!) Works well as a main meal or a side dish.
Notes:
For a drier almost tangier flavor substitue a dry champagne for the white wine. It is equally delicious.
For those non-vegans out there: You can substitute chicken broth for the veggie broth easily. Also after this is complete cooking, you can add in ¼ parmesan cheese or crumble some baked, crispy prosciutto on top. If you are doing this I would watch how much salt you add to the risotto as you don’t want it to be too salty! Obviously this would void my vegan, low fat comment but still gluten free!
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