Risotto

When I think of Risotto, I think of warm, gooey, comfort food. The stuff that feels like hugs and a blanket. You see, I got a thing for carbs, I also have a thing for mushrooms. So lets pair these two babies together and make sweet beautiful.. Risotto.

Why eat this? Mushrooms have so many positive health benefits, most of which have been unexplored at this time. SO while you are shovelling a spoon of creamy arborio rice into your mouth just think of all the magic power of the funghi that you are getting alongside as well. Ok, and now this is getting hippy dippy, but why not throw it out there?! Risotto’s have got to be made with love. They take constant attention and care and so hopefully, you being the beautiful, empowered, glorious chef that you are, have infused all your loving energy into each biteful. Its something to think about. Food for thought.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium Onion (chopped fine)
• 2-3 clove Garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 cup mixed Mushroom (eg shitake, cremini, morel etc)
• Salt & Pep
• 3 Tbls Rice Vinegar or White Wine
• 1 cup Mushroom Broth (plus more if needed)*
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk (canned is nice for richness)
• 1 1/4 cup Water (plus more if needed)*
• 1 cup Arborio Rice
• 1/8-1/4 Miyoko’s Herb Cheese or your Cheese Sub of your choice.
• 1-2 dried bay leaves
• few sprigs of fresh thyme
• few sage leaves for garnish
• earth balance butter
• Veggie Parm

I say if more is needed as you stir and soak you will never be sure how much moisture is absorbed, so always have more stock and water ready if need be *

METHOD

Making Risotto is usually just playing with…thyme. Wait, time.

Stir, pour, add. The rest of it is very simple. So.

Starting with a med-large saucepan on medium heat. Lets soften and cook down the onions, garlic in the coconut oil until translucent and  aromatic. A few minutes. Add in your chopped mushrooms at this point now. Same things, we want to cook them down, just until they lose most of their moisture.

Next, we want to “deglaze” the pan with the rice vinegar or white wine if you are using that. So pour that in and it should create a nice sizzle of steam. Allow to cook down for a minute or two.

Season this mixture well with Salt and Pep.

Add in your arborio rice. We want to get all those beautiful flavours coated around each grain of rice. So stirring and absorbing whatever is in the pan.

Then Add in our liquids. Alternating and a little at a time. The mushroom stock, water, and coconut milk. Continue to work with med to medium low heat. This is where the dance happens. You stir and wait until the liquid is absorbed and then add in more. So alternate with these three throughout. Add in your bay leave(s) and thyme s and continue to cook until your rice has just about lost its bite. No crunch, but not mush. It will take a while

Now you want to bring in your beautiful cheese. This will incorporate all the beautiful flavours of tthis dish and really bring it all together.

You can also add in a pat of earth balance at this time to finish off the dish.

Plate, parm and serve.

bon apetit