avocado & bravado : a food blog

For many months, I didn’t have much interest in making risotto. All that stirring? No thanks. My first couple of attempts at making risotto were duds and I almost wrote it off altogether until I made roasted red pepper risotto a couple months ago. Now that fresh peas and asparagus have once again returned to my local markets, I got the idea of making a “green risotto”. The stirring is well worth the wait.

By the way, having a food blog is pretty nice. Since I live 2,300 miles from my mom and dad, this blog serves as evidence that I eat plenty of vegetables.

Green Risotto
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1 small onion, diced
olive oil and butter
2 cloves garlic, finely choppped
1 1/4 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white whine
4 cups stock, chicken or vegetable
a handful of spinach leaves
1 cup peas
1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, more for serving

- Boil a pot of water and blanch the asparagus tips and peas for 3-4 minutes. Drain into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

- Meanwhile, blend a handful of spinach with a couple tablespoons of water and blend until spinach is pureed. Set aside.

- Add 4 cups of broth to a large saucepan over very low heat. Do not let it boil.

- Chop onion and garlic. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan. When the butter has melted, add the onions. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the rice and make sure each piece has been coated in the oil and butter. Add in the wine and gently stir until most of the wine has been absorbed.

- Add a ladleful of the broth to the saucepan. Stir continuously, until absorbed in the rice. Add another ladleful of broth to the saucepan and continue stirring, until absorbed. Continue repeating these steps until the risotto is creamy and slightly al dente, about 20 minutes. You may not end up using all the broth.

- In the last few minutes of cooking, add salt, parmigiano reggiano, the spinach puree, asparagus, and peas. Gently stir everything together and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously. Ladle into bowls and serve with more parmigiano reggiano.

Serves 3-4

Not quite what you had in mind? Try the recipe index.

Despite the relatively short and simple ingredient list, this risotto is packed and bursting with flavor. Though this dish is free of any cream or meat (depending on your stock), it’s very heavy and filling. I recommend serving it with a small salad to balance out the heaviness.

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto
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1 red pepper, broiled and cut into small pieces
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c arborio rice
2 T white wine
4 c stock (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 t paprika
1 T lemon juice
1/4 c parmigiano reggiano
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
a couple sprigs of fresh mint, chopped (optional)
salt, to taste

- Set oven to broil. Wash and pat dry the red pepper. Broil until completely burned, turning every 3-5 minutes. Once burned, remove from the oven and place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes.

- Add 4 cups of broth to a large saucepan over very low heat.

- Meanwhile, chop onion, garlic, parsley, mint, and set aside about a tablespoon of lemon juice. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and chop into small pieces. Discard pith and seeds.

- Heat oil in another large saucepan. When hot, add onions. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.

- Now, add the arborio rice, pepper, and wine. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add about 1 1/2 ladlefuls of the broth to the saucepan. Stir continuously, until absorbed in the rice. Add another ladleful of broth to the pan and continue stirring, until absorbed. Continue repeating these steps until the risotto is creamy and tender, about 20-25 minutes.

- In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in paprika, lemon juice, parmigiano reggiano, parsley, and mint. Add salt, if necessary. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley and serve.

Serves 2

Not quite what you had in mind? Try the recipe index.