Ciao a tutti!
Today we made some risotto. Risotto, pronounced ree-zow-tow, is traditionally a northern Italian rice dish. The type of rice used is usually arborio, which is a thicker, starchier and heavier rice and it will take some time getting used to, especially if you are used to eating lighter rice such as basmati. The grains are short and it takes a bit longer to cook, usually an hour unless you purchase riso arborio precotto meaning “pre-cooked”.
Risotto is especially popular around Milan and all of the Lombardy region. Here you can find several different types of risotto flavors. Most of them, however, are not vegan.
Our risotto is 100% vegan and inspired, of course, by traditional Italian risotto. We added our own twist, Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 – 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
2 medium carrots
2 asparagus stalks
1 small yellow onion
1 handful spanish peanuts
black olives
salt, to taste
1 packet saffron
extra virgin olive oil
The long grain brown rice we used is less starchy and a bit lighter than the arborio. The cook time is a little less, too. It cooks in about 45 minutes. Start by putting the rice and vegetable broth/water into a pan. Dice the carrots and asparagus and add them too, since they take a bit to cook.
Cover and let it sit on low flame for about 20 minutes. After you come back to it you can add the rest of the ingredients. However, you do not need to add the saffron yet. Leave it for last. By this time your risotto should be starting to absorb the water/broth and be starting to cook.
Continue to stir it at this point to give it a homogenous consistency. After about 15-20 minutes the rice and vegetables should be tender. Make sure the water is well-absorbed and add the saffron with olive oil. This will turn the rice to a yellow color and the olive oil will give it a creamy texture. Serve and buon appetito!
by 