Food Friday: Vegetable Risotto

I'm on a rice kick, what can I say? Risotto is a great way to still get your rice fix, while still changing it up a bit. This is a super-great recipe to get a lot of veggies into your diet, and this makes a good main course without needing a lot of other bulk to make it feel substantial (a tough quality to find for those of us who don't eat much meat). It's a great dish for spring and summer when corn, zucchini, and peppers are in season. I think, technically, that this can't be called a "risotto". Those Italians are very picky about how risotto must be prepared, and I think for it to be called a real risotto, it has to be stirred clockwise like 400 times while constantly pouring in your stock, and maybe thrown in a dash of blood from your first-born child. But, who has that kind of time? This way only takes like 30 minutes and that's just fine with me.


You may notice the recipe below says to saute your veggies in water, not oil. This is an excellent tip for reducing fat in your diet. I do it all the time and it works great. I would recommend that you chop and add the basil immediately before serving, not sooner. And, let each person get their own. Fresh basil is good, but can be a bit overpowering if you're not used to eating a lot of it. This is a fairly easy preparation except for the chopping, which takes a little bit of time. But, get your wife or husband or roommate in there to help, and you'll knock it out in no time.

I don't know if you can tell, but this is one of many dishes I've made in my Le Creuset dutch oven!

Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (see my note from last week's post about veggie broth)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup water
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup finely chopped zucchini
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1. Place the broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Sitr in the rice, reduce heat, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the water in a large nonstick frying pan. Add all the vegetables, except the basil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Combine the rice and vegetables. Stir in the basil Season with salt & pepper.