What is risotto? Google definition: ” Risotto is Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. Broth can be from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many recipes advice broth to be simmer and keep hot plus adding a ladle at the time stir until the rice absorbs all the liquid.

Most simple risotto recipe use arborio rice, butter, onion, white wine, and Parmesan cheese. There are also a handful risotto with meat, mushrooms and vegetables.

To me risotto tastes and look a lot like mac and cheese. The process allows arborio rice to release its starches, creating a rich, velvety sauce with soft but slightly al dente grains.

What is tempeh? Tempeh is “a traditional Indonesian soy product, that is made from fermented soybeans. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form”.

Today, I am using medium grain rice, vegetables stock without making it hot, dry white wine, Parmesan cheese, tempeh marinated with tamari and ginger (fermented tofu) See Note, pumpkin and vegetables.

It’s a vegetarian risotto I would said. Medium grain rice do absorb the flavour of stock, wine, vegetables, pumpkin and tempeh. This is my first time trying out bought tempeh.

What does my risotto taste like? The flavour and texture is mildly savory with a nutty, earthy, roasted flavour that locked in the pumpkin, vegetables and especially tempeh. My risotto is a comfort, hearty, healthy and delicious dinner. My family and I are satisfied with using tempeh in my risotto. Let’s get organised and cooking!!!

Ingredients

60 g butter, divided
1 Tbs olive oil
500 g Jap pumpkin, cut into bite pieces
1/2 red capsicum, cut into bite pieces
1/2 yellow capsicum, cut into bite pieces
1 bunch asparagus, cut length wise bite pieces
1/8 bunch coriander, chopped finely
1/4 bunch flat leaves parsley, chopped finely
200 g packet tempeh, bought cut length 2 cm (OPT)
4 c vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine
4 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c medium grain rice
1/2 Tsp nutmeg powder
25 g grated Parmesan
olive oil for roasting pumpkin
salt
black pepper

Method

Preheat oven 200 degrees C. Place pumpkin on foiled tray. Drizzle oil, and sprinkle nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Then place in over to roast about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven. Set aside for later.

In a shallow frying pan, heat half the butter on medium heat. Add tempeh to slightly brown all sides about 2-4 minutes. Remove and keep warm covered with foil.

In a deep wok medium heat, sauté shallots and garlic with remaining butter and oil for about 5-8 minutes, or until garlic and shallots are mostly soft. Add rice and stir for 1 minute to coat; just to lightly toast the rice and being careful that it doesn’t burn. Then add wine and cook until absorbed about 2-3 minutes .

Add asparagus, capsicums, coriander and parsley with 250 ml stock and stir frequently until stock is absorbed about 3-5 minutes, then add remaining stock 250 ml at a time, stirring until stock is absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is al dente and vegetables cooked about 20-25 minutes.

Now stir through Parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add in pumpkin and tempeh to heat, just for another 2-4 minutes, stirring to mixed well until everything is thoroughly heated through. Serve and enjoy with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Note: If you are not use to eating tofu or tempeh; just omit it. I cook tempeh separately then heat in risotto for 2-4 minutes. If you want just roasted pumpkin and vegetables risotto without tempeh; check out my website.

https://helenscchin.com/2019/10/22/roasted-pumpkin-vegetables-tempeh-tofu-risotto/

#helenscchinrecipes
#mainmeals
#vegetarianmeals
#foodiesplus