Risotto Archives - Epicurean Vegan

Mexican-Style Risotto

November 28, 2015 by Epicurean Vegan

Mexican food is definitely a favorite around my house, but I don’t always take the time to make Mexican-style, or Spanish rice. I end up using the easy boxed or microwavable bagged kind. (I know, shameful.) The Husband, however, has no problem with it, even though it’s usually dry and tasteless. We recently had a taco night with friends and I was determined to make a creamy and delicious, Mexican-style rice. My first thought was risotto. And it really doesn’t get any easier because this bakes in the oven and there’s very little work involved. Say goodbye to dry, Mexican restaurant-style rice. This creamy risotto is full of flavor and is perfect for feeding a crowd.

INGREDIENTS:
5 C vegetable broth, divided
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 C onion, diced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (I like the fire-roasted kind)
1 7-oz can diced green chilies (pick your heat level)
1/4 C lime juice
2 Tbs vegan margarine
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Optional: fresh chopped cilantro, avocado slices (Not everyone loves cilantro, so I put it on the side. You can also mix it in at the end with the tomato mixture.)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large Dutch oven, combine 4 cups of the broth with the rice; stir, cover, and bake for 45 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, then add the tomatoes and green chilies. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Once the risotto is done, stir in the remaining cup of broth, the margarine, lime juice, and the bowl of seasonings; stir vigorously. Next, add the tomato mixture and combine well. Serve with cilantro and avocado. Enjoy!

Mexican-Style Risotto

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

Mexican food is definitely a favorite around my house, but I don't always take the time to make Mexican-style, or Spanish rice. I end up using the easy boxed or microwavable bagged kind. (I know, shameful.) The Husband, however, has no problem with it, even though it's usually dry and tasteless. We recently had a taco night with friends and I was determined to make a creamy and delicious, Mexican-style rice. My first thought was risotto. And it really doesn't get any easier because this bakes in the oven and there's very little work involved. Say goodbye to dry, Mexican restaurant-style rice. This creamy risotto is full of flavor and is perfect for feeding a crowd.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 10

Ingredients

5 C vegetable broth, divided
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 C onion, diced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (I like the fire-roasted kind)
1 7-oz can diced green chilies (pick your heat level)
¼ C lime juice
2 Tbs vegan margarine
¼ C nutritional yeast
½ tsp salt
1 Tbs cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
Optional: fresh chopped cilantro, avocado slices (Not everyone loves cilantro, so I put it on the side. You can also mix it in at the end with the tomato mixture.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large Dutch oven, combine 4 cups of the broth with the rice; stir, cover, and bake for 45 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper; set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat, then add the tomatoes and green chilies. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
Once the risotto is done, stir in the remaining cup of broth, the margarine, lime juice, and the bowl of seasonings; stir vigorously.
Next, add the tomato mixture and combine well. Serve with cilantro and avocado. Enjoy!

Cashew Cheese Risotto

July 23, 2014 by Epicurean Vegan

Just so you know, we’re not messing around with this risotto. I shudder to think what my vegan life would be like without cashew cheese. Obviously, the pure joy of the Creamy Macaroni with Cashew Cheese, would just not exist, as would the Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash and Cashew Cheese and the Pine nut and Cashew Ravioli. Not a vegan world I’d want to live in, folks. And the beauty of it all, is that cashew cheese is so simple to make, a monkey can do it, so it just doesn’t get any better. This baked risotto dish is creamy, decadent and outta this world (and into vegan heaven). And did I mention it’s easy to make? Ready in 50 minutes? No standing at the stove constantly stirring like traditional risotto; this entree (or side dish) practically cooks itself. Served solo or with garlic bread and a salad, you’re well on your way to cashew cheese nirvana.

INGREDIENTS:
5 C vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C onion, diced
16-oz mushrooms, sliced, then cut in half
1-1/2 C green onion, sliced
2-3 C fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 C white cooking wine
2 Tbs vegan margarine
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1 recipe cashew cheese (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cashew Cheese (makes 1 cup)
1 C raw, roasted and unsalted cashews (whole or pieces), soaked in hot water 1-2 hours
1/2 C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Start the cashew cheese first. Soak the nuts in a bowl with enough boiling water to just cover the nuts. Let sit 1-2 hours. Drain, rinse and transfer to a food processor. Add 1/2 cup of water and puree. While the machine is running, add the salt, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 4 cups of the broth with the rice in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. While the rice is baking, prepare your other ingredients. With about 10 minutes of cooking time left for the risotto, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the garlic starts to brown, add the mushrooms and green onion. Reduce heat to medium-low and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let it cook 2 minutes. Once it starts to wilt, remove from the heat.
When the risotto is done (all the liquid is absorbed), stir in the remaining cup of broth. Then add the white wine, vegan margarine, salt and pepper. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes; this is what releases the starches and makes the risotto nice and creamy. Add the nutritional yeast and all of the cashew cheese. Stir until well combined. Fold in the mushroom-spinach mixture. And that’s it! Serve and thoroughly enjoy!

Cashew Cheese Risotto

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Cashew cheese is so simple to make, a monkey can do it, so it just doesn't get any better. This baked risotto dish is creamy, decadent and outta this world (and into vegan heaven). And did I mention it's easy to make? Ready in 50 minutes? No standing at the stove constantly stirring like traditional risotto; this entree (or side dish) practically cooks itself. Served solo or with garlic bread and a salad, you're well on your way to cashew cheese nirvana.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

5 C vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C onion, diced
16-oz mushrooms, sliced, then cut in half
1-1/2 C green onion, sliced
2-3 C fresh spinach, chopped
½ C white cooking wine
2 Tbs vegan margarine
¼ C nutritional yeast
1 recipe cashew cheese (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cashew Cheese (makes 1 cup)
1 C raw, roasted and unsalted cashews (whole or pieces), soaked in hot water 1-2 hours
½ C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt

Directions

Start the cashew cheese first. Soak the nuts in a bowl with enough boiling water to just cover the nuts. Let sit 1-2 hours. Drain, rinse and transfer to a food processor. Add ½ cup of water and puree. While the machine is running, add the salt, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 4 cups of the broth with the rice in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
While the rice is baking, prepare your other ingredients. With about 10 minutes of cooking time left for the risotto, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the garlic starts to brown, add the mushrooms and green onion. Reduce heat to medium-low and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let it cook 2 minutes. Once it starts to wilt, remove from the heat.
When the risotto is done (all the liquid is absorbed), stir in the remaining cup of broth. Then add the white wine, vegan margarine, salt and pepper. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes; this is what releases the starches and makes the risotto nice and creamy. Add the nutritional yeast and all of the cashew cheese. Stir until well combined. Fold in the mushroom-spinach mixture. And that's it! Serve and thoroughly enjoy!

Easy Baked Risotto

January 27, 2014 by Epicurean Vegan

This is a lot like the Creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto, but this one requires a lot less work, especially when it comes to stirring! I recently purchased a Dutch oven and decided to try making risotto in it. So much less work! Mine is 5-quarts and this recipe only took up about 1/2 of the Dutch oven, so I would think even a 3-quart one is plenty big enough.
Risotto is a very versatile dish, so you can add whatever vegetables to it that you’d like. I stuck with spinach, onion and mushrooms, but feel free to add peas, asparagus, Swiss chard, kale . . . you name it.The great thing about using a Dutch oven, is that if you want to make this a side dish, you’ll have plenty of time to throw together the main entree while this cooks. But served with a salad and bread, this risotto makes an ideal main entree.

INGREDIENTS:
5 C vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 C onion, chopped
16-oz mushrooms (cremini or white), chopped or sliced
2 C spinach, chopped
1/4 C lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C white cooking wine
2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1-1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 4 cups of the broth and the rice in the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. While the rice is baking, prepare your other ingredients. In a bowl, combine the spinach, lemon juice and salt; set aside. Next, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and a little brown. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more.

I also combined the nutritional yeast, thyme, pepper, and salt in a small bowl to make it easier to add it all at once, when it comes time to add them.
Once the rice is done (most of the liquid has been absorbed), add the remaining cup of broth:

Next, stir in the white wine, Earth Balance and seasoning. Stir vigorously for about 3 minutes, or until the risotto is thick and creamy. Stir in the mushrooms mixture, along with the spinach.
So good! Serve immediately and enjoy!

Easy Baked Risotto

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

55 mins

Risotto is a very versatile dish, so you can add whatever vegetables to it that you'd like. I stuck with spinach, onion and mushrooms, but feel free to add peas, asparagus, Swiss chard, kale . . . you name it.The great thing about using a Dutch oven, is that if you want to make this a side dish, you'll have plenty of time to throw together the main entree while this cooks. But served with a salad and bread, this risotto makes an ideal main entree.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

5 C vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 C onion, chopped
16-oz mushrooms (cremini or white), chopped or sliced
2 C spinach, chopped
¼ C lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ C white cooking wine
2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
¼ C nutritional yeast
1-1/2 tsp thyme
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine 4 cups of the broth and the rice in the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. While the rice is baking, prepare your other ingredients. In a bowl, combine the spinach, lemon juice and salt; set aside.
Next, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and a little brown. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more.
I also combined the nutritional yeast, thyme, pepper, and salt in a small bowl to make it easier to add it all at once, when it comes time to add them.
Once the rice is done (most of the liquid has been absorbed), add the remaining cup of broth.
Next, stir in the white wine, Earth Balance and seasoning. Stir vigorously for about 3 minutes, or until the risotto is thick and creamy.
Stir in the mushrooms mixture, along with the spinach.
So good! Serve immediately and enjoy!

Creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto

January 9, 2014 by epicureanvegan

Wow, has it really been this long since my last post?! I guess the holidays will do that. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and so far a good 2014. I’ve made this risotto several times now, and I swear we love it more each time. Sure, there’s a little prep work involved, as well as some constant stirring, but I promise you, it’s worth it. You can even read a book while you make this. Seriously. Have a book handy because you might as well get some reading done as you stir. (A glass of wine wouldn’t hurt either).

INGREDIENTS:
3/4-oz pkg. dried shiitake mushrooms
3/4-oz pkg. dried porcini mushrooms
3 C vegetable broth
3 C fresh spinach, chopped
1/8-1/4 C lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 large onion, chopped small (about 1 C)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
16-oz cremini mushrooms
1-1/2 tsp thyme
1 C Arborio rice
1/2 C white cooking wine
1-1/2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1/8 C nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
To begin, soak the shiitake and porcini in very hot water for about 30 minutes. Once re-hydrated, drain, wash, and chop the mushrooms up small; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, lemon juice and salt; set aside as well. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook 2 minutes over medium heat, then add the onion. Saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cremini, shiitake, and porcini mushrooms and cook 10-12 minutes, or until they have cooked down. Add the thyme, Arborio rice, and remaining olive oil. Combine the rice well in the pan and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook 5 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Add about 1/2 C of the broth and stir constantly until completely absorbed; repeat, adding only a 1/2 C of broth at a time. It will take about 20-30 minutes. (Good time to have a book handy). Next, stir in the spinach mixture and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach has cooked down. Stir in the Earth Balance, nutritional yeast, and black pepper. Enjoy! (This is great with some oven-roasted asparagus and garlic toast.)

Creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto

I've made this risotto several times now, and I swear we love it more each time. Sure, there's a little prep work involved, as well as some constant stirring, but I promise you, it's worth it. You can even read a book while you make this. Seriously. Have a book handy because you might as well get some reading done as you stir. (A glass of wine wouldn't hurt either).

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

¾-oz pkg. dried shiitake mushrooms
¾-oz pkg. dried porcini mushrooms
3 C vegetable broth
3 C fresh spinach, chopped
⅛-1/4 C lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ large onion, chopped small (about 1 C)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
16-oz cremini mushrooms
1-1/2 tsp thyme
1 C Arborio rice
½ C white cooking wine
1-1/2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
⅛ C nutritional yeast
½ tsp black pepper

Directions

To begin, soak the shiitake and porcini in very hot water for about 30 minutes. Once re-hydrated, drain, wash, and chop the mushrooms up small; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, lemon juice and salt; set aside as well.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook 2 minutes over medium heat, then add the onion. Saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cremini, shiitake, and porcini mushrooms and cook 10-12 minutes, or until they have cooked down. Add the thyme, Arborio rice, and remaining olive oil.
Combine the rice well in the pan and cook 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the wine and cook 5 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Add about ½ C of the broth and stir constantly until completely absorbed; repeat, adding only a ½ C of broth at a time. It will take about 20-30 minutes. (Good time to have a book handy). Next, stir in the spinach mixture and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach has cooked down.
Stir in the Earth Balance, nutritional yeast, and black pepper. Enjoy! (This is great with some oven-roasted asparagus and garlic toast.)

White Bean and Arborio Rice Soup

October 1, 2012 by epicureanvegan

This soup, from Vegetarian Times is amazing! It’s a simple fall soup that comes together in no time. I think it came out pretty thick and I would have preferred it to be soupier. If you’re like me, I recommending using about 10 cups of water instead of 6. The bread that it’s served with really soaks up the liquid. Otherwise, for a thick chunky version stick with the recipe as is. Either way, it’s delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2/3 C Arborio rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
6 C vegetable broth
2 C cabbage, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 slices of Italian bread, torn into pieces (1 C)
1/4 C pine nuts
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the rice and toasted for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the broth, cabbage and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pulse the bread and pine nuts in a food processor until you get small crumbs. Heat the remaining Tbs of olive oil in a skillet and add the bread/nut mixture. Toast over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Add the beans to the soup and cook 5 minutes. Check to make sure the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

The recipe says to stir in the bread crumbs, but I opted to just sprinkle them on top of individual servings. Otherwise, I think the bread would soak up too much of the broth. Serve with salad and bread and enjoy!

White Bean and Arborio Rice Soup

This soup, from Vegetarian Times is amazing! It's a simple fall soup that comes together in no time. I think it came out pretty thick and I would have preferred it to be soupier. If you're like me, I recommending using about 10 cups of water instead of 6. The bread that it's served with really soaks up the liquid. Otherwise, for a thick chunky version stick with the recipe as is. Either way, it's delicious!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

3 Tbs olive oil, divided
⅔ C Arborio rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
6 C vegetable broth
2 C cabbage, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 slices of Italian bread, torn into pieces (1 C)
¼ C pine nuts
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the rice and toasted for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the broth, cabbage and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse the bread and pine nuts in a food processor until you get small crumbs.
Heat the remaining Tbs of olive oil in a skillet and add the bread/nut mixture. Toast over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Add the beans to the soup and cook 5 minutes. Check to make sure the rice is tender.
Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.
The recipe says to stir in the bread crumbs, but I opted to just sprinkle them on top of individual servings. Otherwise, I think the bread would soak up too much of the broth.
Serve with salad and bread and enjoy!

Lemon Risotto with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

February 11, 2012 by epicureanvegan

Barb at That Was Vegan? posted this recipe, but used Israeli couscous and kale. YUM! I didn’t have any couscous and of course, I had eaten all the kale, but . . . I really wanted to make this dish. I added some mushrooms, too and it was delicious! You could also use wild rice or barley—just keep in mind they both take up to an hour to cook. Otherwise, this is quick and satisfying meal.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C arborio (risotto) rice
1-1/2 C water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 med sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1-2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 C spinach, chopped
Salt, pepper, and cumin, to taste
2-3 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, or drizzle with olive oil. Add the potatoes. I sprinkled on some salt and pepper, too.

Bake 15-20 minutes until they start to brown—but be sure to turn once. While the potatoes bake, bring the water and bouillon cube to a boil, then add the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, spinach, salt, pepper, cumin, and lemon juice. Cover until the veggies soften and wilt.

Stir in the sweet potatoes and enjoy!

Lemon Risotto with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Barb at That Was Vegan? posted this recipe, but used Israeli couscous and kale. YUM! I didn't have any couscous and of course, I had eaten all the kale, but . . . I really wanted to make this dish. I added some mushrooms, too and it was delicious! You could also use wild rice or barley---just keep in mind they both take up to an hour to cook. Otherwise, this is quick and satisfying meal.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 C arborio (risotto) rice
1-1/2 C water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 med sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1-2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 C spinach, chopped
Salt, pepper, and cumin, to taste
2-3 Tbs lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, or drizzle with olive oil. Add the potatoes. I sprinkled on some salt and pepper, too.
Bake 15-20 minutes until they start to brown---but be sure to turn once. While the potatoes bake, bring the water and bouillon cube to a boil, then add the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, spinach, salt, pepper, cumin, and lemon juice. Cover until the veggies soften and wilt.
Stir in the sweet potatoes and enjoy!

Baked Mushroom Risotto

April 8, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I love the natural creaminess of risotto and when possible, I use it in recipes that call for regular old white rice. This simple dish is great as a side or even a main meal. The recipe is from Prevention, but I made several changes, including having to veganize it, which proved to be very simple. You can use a dutch oven or like me, good old fashioned aluminum foil and a baking dish. The aroma of this baking in the oven will attract the family to the dinner table!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 C sliced shiitake and/or oyster mushrooms
1/3 C dry white wine
1-1/2 C arborio rice
3 C low-sodium vegetable broth
1/3 C (+ some for sprinkling) vegan Parmesan cheeze

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions; cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they soften and brown. Add the mushrooms and cook a few more minutes until they begin to soften. In the meantime, in a small saucepan, warm the broth a little.

Add the wine and cook until it evaporate, just a few minutes. Transfer to an oven-safe dish, stir in the rice, 1/3 C of the cheeze, and warmed up broth.

Cover tightly with foil and bake 30-32 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. You’ll need to stir it, as the mushrooms and onions migrated to the top. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheeze and enjoy!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

October 19, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Okay, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to make stuffed peppers. We happened to get a TON of green bell peppers from our CSA yesterday:

This is just a third of what we received–the rest went to my 2 other neighbor who share in the CSA with us.

I guarantee you will LOVE these stuffed peppers. I debated on what to put in them, but when it came down to it, I wanted to make them as simple as possible. As the Sixth Grader said,”These are cooked perfectly; they cut like butter!”

INGREDIENTS:
11 small bell peppers, or 6-7 large peppers
1/2 C Arborio rice (risotto)
3/4 C water
1-1/2 tsp Earth Balance margarine
4 C fresh spinach, chopped small
1 large tomato, diced
6 -oz Tofutti cream cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbs dried minced onion
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbs lime juice
1/8 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan combine water, rice, and butter. Bring to a boil, stir, and cover for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Wash the peppers and cut the tops off. Clean out the insides of seeds and other innards.

Combine cream cheese with cooked rice (in the same pan) and blend thoroughly. Since the rice is warm, it’ll make it easier to to blend. Stir in cumin and minced onion. Add spinach and tomatoes and combine well.

Fill each pepper with the rice mixture. You can pack in quite a bit of the rice mixture, just press down with a spoon—pretend you’re stuffing a sleeping bag into its stuff sack. Place in a 8″ square pan.

I had about 3/4 C of left over rice mixture, but if using larger peppers, you can probably squeeze it all into those.

Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes. While these are baking, combine sour cream, lime juice, cilantro and garlic salt in a small bowl.

Add a few dollops of the sour cream mixture on top of the pepper servings and enjoy!

Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms, Leeks and Peas

March 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This risotto from The Kind Diet, definitely takes some time to prepare, but is well worth it. I don’t recommend making this for a side dish unless the main meal is fast, easy with little hands-on time. Otherwise, this makes a great main dish served with garlic bread or toast.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbs olive oil
3/4 – 1 C oyster mushrooms, or 1 C button mushrooms, sliced
2 pinches of fine sea salt
1/2 C thinly sliced leeks (about 1 large leek)
1/2 C fresh or thawed frozen peas
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4-1 C onion, chopped
1 C arborio rice
1/2 C white wine or mirin (I used 3/4 white wine and 1/4 mirin)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs of the oil in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and stir until the mushrooms soften. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and saute for 1 minute, or until the leeks soften. Add some water to the pan, 1 Tbs at a time, if the vegetables become dryer or start to stick to the pan.

If you are using fresh peas, blanch then for 1 minute in a small pot of boiling water, and then add them to the sauteed vegetables. If using thawed frozen peas, just mix them straight into the sauteed vegetables. Remove from the heat and set aside. (I transferred them to a bowl).

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and when the onion begins to sizzle, add a dash of salt. Saute until the onions soften, about 1-2 mins. Stir in the rice and toast the grains until they are opaque, about 2-3 mins. Stir in the wine and cook until it is evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin adding the warm water by ladlefuls, stirring it into the risotto, and adding more liquid only when the previous addition has been absorbed.

After the rice has cooked for 20 mins, season to taste with salt. The total cooking time should be 25-30 mins. The risotto will be creamy, but the rice should retain some firmness. Add the sauteed vegetable mixture to the risotto and stir together until hot. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe source: The Kind Diet

Mexican-Style Risotto

Cashew Cheese Risotto

Easy Baked Risotto

Creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto

White Bean and Arborio Rice Soup

Lemon Risotto with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Baked Mushroom Risotto

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms, Leeks and Peas

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