Mushroom & Asparagus Brown Rice Risotto and Avocado & Broccoli Salad

Mushroom and Asparagus Brown Rice Risotto

Let me start by saying that this recipe takes ALONG TIME.  Make sure you have adequate time and patience to do it.  It is a labor of love and totally worth it though.  Even Joe, who was starving last night (and not even a vegan), thought it was worth the wait.  Regular risotto (with Arborio rice), takes about 30-40 minutes.  With brown rice, you need a longer amount of time because it takes longer for the brown rice to absorb the liquids and get to an al dente texture.  

Ingredients

2 cup of SHORT GRAIN brown rice (it is really important to use the correct rice)

4 cups of vegetable broth (I used the stock I make at home)

5 cups of water

2 cups of dry white wine (optional; can use additional veg. stock)

4 tablespoons of EVOO

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)   

1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
2 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs, chopped (I used flat leaf-Italian parsley, rosemary, thyme, and basil)
 

Bring broth and water to a boil in a medium pot. Add asparagus and simmer until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and transfer it to a bowl of ice water until well chilled, then drain and set aside. Cover broth-water mixture and bring back to a simmer.

In a medium lidded saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ cup of white wine and sauté the mushrooms just until tender. When done, remove with a slotted spoon to a separate plate, leaving the flavored oil and mushroom liquid in the pan (remove it from the heat)

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring gently, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the broth-water mixture and cook, stirring constantly and adjusting heat if needed to maintain a simmer, until liquid is almost absorbed. Repeat process, this time adding about 1/2 cup of the white wine. Stir constantly while incorporating the liquid; this will provide a creamy consistency. Once the wine is absorbed, begin adding about ½ cup of the broth-water mixture.  Keep alternating between the white wine and broth-water mixture until rice is just beginning to get tender, about 40 minutes. Liberally grind fresh black pepper in to taste, grate in your nutmeg and season with salt (be very careful not to over salt if your stock is salted) and nutritional yeast. The secret here is to keep the pot moving and to keep the risotto as simmering temperature.  Like I said, it is a pain in the ass, but it makes it so good!  I keep the simmering pot of stock on the back burner and the risotto pan on the front burner and simply ladle the broth in directly. Again, the secret to ideal risotto texture is to add this very hot liquid very slowly while stirring the entire time.

The amount of liquid you need to add to the rice will vary depending on how hot your pan is, the age and character of your rice, and so forth.  I keep my pot on a low simmer, so the liquid listed in this recipe if just right.  There is a chance you may need more liquid on hand. The rice is done when it has a creamy soft, exterior but still some bite/chewiness to the interior.

When you've finished cooking the rice and adding all liquid (wine and stock), fold in the cooked mushrooms, the flavored oil and mushroom liquid in the pan and the chopped fresh herbs and stir over low heat for another two minutes.  Correct the seasoning with additional salt and/or pepper, to taste. Let the risotto rest for about 10 minutes once you have finished cooking it.  This allows it get a little thicker before serving.

Broccoli and Avocado Salad

Last year for our anniversary, Joe and I took a group cooking class at Yasin Culinary in Waltham.  Mr. Yasin is a great chef who has owned a few restaurants.  He specializes in Syrian cooking.  I would totally recommend his classes!  He uses great fresh ingredients and was willing to adapt the class to include vegan recipes for me!

In any case, to accompany my lovely risotto last night, I re-created a recipe from Mr. Yasin’s class.  I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh broccoli (cut into small pieces, stems removed)

1 large, ripe avocado

Several small cherry tomatoes

Fresh lemon

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Wash the broccoli really well and remove the stems.  You want to have small florets here, so make sure you break up the broccoli well.

Dice and pit the avocado.  You want the avocado to be in about ½ inch pieces.  

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

Slice the lemon really thin.  You will include the slices in the salad.  Mr. Yasin told us that the lemon rind is one of the healthiest and nutrient rich parts of any fruit.  BTW, the lemon rind is also rich in fiber and B6 which are important for vegans.

Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Add fresh squeezed lemon juice as the dressing. Between the oil from the avocado and the lemon, you will have a nice light dressing.  

Mr. Yasin also added sliced green olives when he made this.  I am not a big olive person, so I skipped this.  But if you like olives, go for it.  Note that adding the olives will make the salad saltier, so cut down on the salt or eliminate it completely.

I love this salad!  It is so easy, light and nutritious!