Vegetable Risotto

I'm actually a tiny bit hesitant to call this "risotto".  I think the hipster foodie squad might burn me at the stake.  Generally, a risotto calls for arborio rice, broth and white wine cooked with shallots and garlic.  The basic concept is to toast the rice in some olive oil, then add 1/2 cup of hot chicken broth and a splash of white wine at a time and letting it absorb before adding any more.  This increases the starches in the rice and makes it creamy and gooey and yum.

I used brown rice, and onions instead of garlic...and no wine, but get over yourselves, it's the same concept.

What you need:

1.5 cups long grain brown rice (not instant).
3-4 cups of Chicken Stock or vegetable stock
2 carrots
1 yellow squash
1 bunch of kale
1/2 lb asparagus
1/2 a yellow onion, sliced thin
4 small garlic cloves, chopped
A few tsp of olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Equipment you'll need:

1 large pot
1 medium pot
1 ladle

Time you'll need:  An hour.  Sorry, brown rice doesn't cook the same way white rice does.

(You can use anything you want. Broccoli, tomatoes, broccoli rabe, zucchini, whatever you like.  I used what I had.)

Start by bringing the broth just to a boil, then turn off the heat.  While this is going on, chop up your garlic and slice your onions.  Heat your large pot to medium heat and add your olive oil, then your garlic and onions.  Saute until fragrant and then add the rice.  Toast the rice until lightly browned, stirring regularly.  (DO NOT LET IT BURN.  If it burns, you have to start over).

Once your rice is nice and toasty, add a ladle full (or one half cup) of warm broth to your rice.  Stir it up and leave it be.  The heat should be low-medium for this process.  Once all of that liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle full to the pot and repeat.

While this is going on, prepare your other vegetables.  I chop everything into bite sized pieces and discard the ends and peels.  I also remove the ribs (the hard part in the middle) of the kale and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces.

Once half of your broth is gone and the rice is halfway done (still some chew to it) add your veggies.  Stir up completely and cover.  Repeat the process of adding broth a little at a time, but allow the veggies to cook with the rice and broth. By the time the rice is soft, you'll see all the ingredients are cooked together and the rice has become creamy and delicious.  (You can add a tbsp of milk or cream if you don't have a consistency you like).

Once everything is done, add your Parmesan and stir up.  Serve immediately, I served with Balsamic Marinated Chicken and a big green salad.

For the regular recipe, please see below!


Vegetable Risotto

1.5 cups long grain brown rice (not instant).
3-4 cups of Chicken Stock or vegetable stock 
2 carrots 
1 yellow squash
1 bunch of kale
1/2 lb asparagus 
1/2 a yellow onion, sliced thin 
4 small garlic cloves, chopped 
A few tsp of olive oil 
1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 
Salt and Pepper to taste  

In one pot heat your broth to a simmer then turn the heat off.  On another burner, heat a pot to medium heat.  Add olive oil and garlic and onions.  Saute until soft.  Add brown rice to the pot, and toast until lightly browned.  Add 1/2 cup to the rice and lower the heat to low-medium.  Once the rice has absorbed the broth, add another half cup.  Once you're about halfway through your broth, add your vegetables to the pot and cover. 

After about 5 minutes, remove the lid and keep adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time until the rice and vegetables are soft and cooked through and the rice is creamy.  You can add a little milk or cream to make it thicker.  Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan. 

Serve immediately. 


(Tip- Splash a little bit of white wine every time you add your broth for some extra flavor.  Also, try a tsp of butter along with the olive oil before you toast your rice.)

(21 Day Fixers- Measure 1 green container as 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 tsp. I only used 1 blue container of Parmesan for the whole thing so I'm not counting it). 

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