I made this risotto for my weekend away with some friends. We stayed at a friend’s daughter holiday home. Each of us brought 2 to 3 dishes and shared it. On arrival at our destination place we decide to have fish and chips as it’s famous for its fish and chips there.

After we all have settled in to the house, unpack our bags and then browsing the whole house. Then went for a walk along the beach. Came back, wash our hands and feet, I bring out my risotto, started warming up again and getting ready for dinner. By right it should be eaten straightaway after cooking. I take the risk of having to rewarm and adding more stock and butter.

Google: “Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables. Many types of risotto contain butter, onion, white wine, and Parmesan cheese. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy. Risotto contains carbohydrates, which are necessary to fuel the body. But some recipes are high in saturated fat because of the cheese and butter that is used to prepare the dish. Risotto can also be high in sodium. Adding vegetables and a lean protein helps give risotto a more balanced nutritional profile.”

“This basic risotto recipe is made with Arborio rice, butter, fragrant sautéed shallots or onions, dry vermouth or white wine, chicken stock, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. It’s a perfect recipe to start with if you’ve never made risotto before. Risotto takes a while to cook properly, and it requires your attention as well as your time. For upward of 20 minutes, you have one job and one job only: Add hot stock a ladleful at a time to the rice and cook slowly, stirring often, until the stock is absorbed. The technique, which is called the risotto method, releases the rice’s starches, producing a creamy, velvety dish.”

I am glad it turned out perfectly creamy, velvety and delicious. All my friends and I enjoyed it with a side of roast chicken, and salad. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
120g unsalted butter
250 g bought veggies rice (carrot, cauliflower and broccolli, chopped ready)
1 packet spinach and rocket
1 small eggplant, cubes
120 g dried porcini, soaked and reserved water 1/2 c
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 c arborio rice
200ml dry white wine
2L hot vegetable stock
100 g finely grated parmesan pecorino cheese, plus extra to serve
salt to taste

Method

Heat oil and 50 g butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat until the butter foams. Reduce heat to medium low, add eggplant cubes and garlic and stir for 6-8 minutes until tender and translucent.

Now add arborio rice. Stir for 2 minutes to toast rice and coat it in oil, then add dry wine and bring to the boil. Add the hot stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring until each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next. Strain the dirt away and add reserved porcini water. Stir for 15-20 minutes until rice is almost tender.

Next add carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, and stir to combine. Cook for 5-7 minutes until cook and tender, then stir through spinach and rocket until wilted. Now stir in parmesan pecorino and remaining butter to combine. Serve hot and add more cheese, with salad and roast chicken. Enjoy!!!!

Note: you can use white part of leek only, peas, snap peas, asparagus, baby spinach and zucchini. You can add chili flakes, thyme and lemon zest. Parmesan Pecorino is quite salty, taste it first before adding more salt. You can use just Parmesan cheese only. You may omit the reserved water from porcini water. You may omit porcini use white mushroom.

https://helenscchin.com/2024/03/07/vegetables-risotto

#helenscchinrecipes
#mainmeals
#cookingforthefun
#foodiesplus