I occasionally try new recipes, when I can find the time. I have a pretty good repository of favorite recipes that I make regularly (you can see most of them here). I’d say 90% of the new recipes I try don’t make it past the Debi test, meaning Debi doesn’t eat the leftovers and I know that I shouldn’t make it again. So, when I tried this new recipe, I was skeptical, as I usually am. But the leftovers were gone in 2 days. Ergo, it’s a keeper:
Spring Vegetable Risotto
- 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 3/4 cup white wine (or cooking wine)
- 3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 package firm tofu (optional for added protein)
- Cook peas in boiling water about 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
- Pour broth into a medium-size saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to low and keep broth warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, salt and pepper (and tofu, if using tofu) and cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in saucepan. Stir in rice and carrots and cook 1 minute. Add wine to saucepan and stir until almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in warm broth and cook for another 22-25 minutes.
- Add peas to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, butter, and lemon juice (you can also put the Parmesan cheese on separately after dishing up servings).
- Note: You’re supposed to slowly add the broth, but it didn’t seem to make a difference when I didn’t.
Spring Vegetable Risotto @ Group Recipes
