My Risotto
For those of you who are keeping score and started following me from Dr. Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Facebook page, I posted a picture of my dinner, (reposted below) from a Journal Club meeting at a local steak house. All I did at that time was tell the Waiter I am a vegan. I got the choice of a rice dish or a pasta dish. I chose the rice dish. My friends asked me to get the recipe from the restaurant. The problem is that the restaurant recipe was not compliant with the Whole Foods Plant Based No Oil, Sugar or Salt guidelines.
Having over 12 years experience of cooking this way, it was a snap to duplicate the recipe. Compare my version of Risotto With Mixed Vegetables, above, with the restaurant version, below. I made some with pasta last night too and it was equally delicious, but I wanted to duplicate the picture too. So, I went to the local Meijer grocery store and picked up some Italian Risotto Arborio Rice,
a 12oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables with no seasoning or oil and some fresh broccolini. Seasoning is optional. Here's my recipe:
VEGETABLE RISOTTO WITH STEAM BROCCOLINI:
10oz of short grain Arborio rice.
12oz of frozen mixed vegetables.
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped.
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped (or 2 TBSP dried onion flakes).
5 strawberry tomatoes (or one Roma tomato) finely chopped.
1 tsp dried ginger.
5 cups of water.
5 stalks of broccolini with the stems trimmed.
DIRECTIONS:
In a large sauce pain with a lid, add 1 cup of water and the frozen vegetables, celery, onion, tomato and ginger. Bring the water to a boil. Place a steamer tray over the boiling veggies and place the broccolini on the steamer tray. Reduce the heat to a simmering boil and close the lid. Allow it to cook for about 20 minutes. Place the broccolini on a plate to the side. Strain the mixed veggies saving the stock.
Add more water to the stock for a total of 4 cups to cook the rice for about 20 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently until the rice gets creamy and sticky. It's ok to add a little more water if needed to soften the rice. Once the rice is at the creamy consistency, fold in the mixed veggies over low heat until all the water is absorbed. Cover and take it off the heat for about 5 min to de-glaze the pot. Plate it and add the broccolini. Season to taste. I used Tabasco Sauce. Other options include, but are not limited to Nutritional Yeast, Costco No Salt Seasoning or whatever you choose....!
Restaurant Risotto
