JayasheeI’m a sucker for good, carby Italian food, and risotto is such a great way to get carbs into my body. Our version is a great entree style dish with mushrooms and peas for added protein. Also, I’ll take coconut milk over boring parmesan cheese any day. This is how we made it:
Creamy Coconut Risotto
Ingredients:
4 ½ cups vegetable stock
1 ½ cups coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
½ onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 bunch spinach, shopped
½ package mushrooms, quartered
¼ cup frozen peas
½ tsp salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Black pepper to taste
Directions:
In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring your vegetable stock, coconut milk, and salt to a boil.
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add your coconut oil and let it melt. Then add your onion and garlic and cook stirring frequently for about 3-5 minutes. Your onions should be soft, but not browned. Next, add your rice and cook for a few more minutes until the rice becomes a little translucent.
Now it’s time to start adding your veggie stock. The key to a good risotto is to not submerge your arborio rice in liquid, but to add it gradually. Otherwise you’ll end up with bloated rice instead of a delicate al dente rice. Seriously, I was taught this by a friend who’s grandma is Italian, so I’m definitely an expert on the subject. Just do it! So, add some of the hot vegetable stock about ½ a ladle at a time until the rice is just covered with liquid, and stir the rice until most of the liquid is absorbed. When the liquid is absorbed, add another half ladle to the rice. This process should take about 20-25 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a small skillet on medium heat. Add a little oil and saute your mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes. Next add your peas and saute for another few minutes.
Finally, add your spinach and cook until it begins to wilt. Season with salt and pepper.
Add your veggies and red pepper flakes to the rice and give it a stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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