mock risotto!

today was a crazy rain day - the perfect day to try my hand at making risotto from scratch. unfortunately, i'm up to my ears in grading, lesson planning and schoolwork. the solution: mock risotto. it was ready in about 15 minutes (including prep time) and just the kind of warm, stick-to-your-ribs meal for such a rainy day.

preliminary notes for grocery shopping: i used up some leftover habaneros, but i'll leave the seasoning up to you. likewise, you could substitute another dark, leafy green for the spinach. tomatoes would be a perfect addition, but i didn't have any on hand. (you may have noticed that this recipe is strikingly similar to the winter chickpea recipe i posted last week. it doesn't have to be, i just happened to need to use up the rest of the stuff i cut into for that recipe.) this was a "what do i already have in the fridge" kind of meal, so you should feel free to be creative. the only obstacle is making sure that the dish is flavorful enough -- extra points if you do this with as little salt as possible!

ingredients:

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 can (approx 2 cups) veggie stock - you may not use it all, but you need it in case the rice starts sticking

1 medium onion

2 small cloves of garlic

2 large handfuls of spinach leaves, rinsed (add more if desired)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (optional)

dash of salt (to taste)

juice of 1/2 lime

ground black pepper, sliced fresh peppers, sriracha - pick your seasoning

to make:

(cook the brown rice)

mince garlic, dice onion, mince peppers (if using)

heat olive oil in a shallow, wide saucepan/pot

sautee garlic, onions, peppers on medium heat until tender, stirring often

add rice, stir constantly to combine

when rice begins to stick, add about 1 cup of veggie stock

the stock should moisten the rice mixture, but it should not be too runny

stir frequently to make sure rice does not stick

allow mixture to come to a gentle boil

add the spinach (and diced tomatoes, if using)

stir - add more veggie stock if needed

cover and let the spinach wilt

taste, adjust salt/pepper

serve immediately

serves 2 adults as generous side or small entree

winter chickpea soup

hi all,

we're a few days into the lenten season, so it's back to exclusively veggie recipes until easter. here's one i came up with on a walk today and decided to fix up for supper. i'm really happy with the way it turned out - it's very tangy, and the sour cream really helps to temper the spice. it's also very, very easy to make.

winter chickpea soup

ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas (or 4 cups cooked, if you make your own)

1 can veggie stock (or 2 cups)

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 small habanero pepper

juice of 1 1/2 limes

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 handful small tomatoes (cherry or grape)

2 handfuls uncooked spinach leaves (no need to chop or de-stem)

sour cream to garnish

to make:

coarsely chop the onion

mince the garlic

de-seed and mince the habanero (careful!)

heat a small soup pot and add the olive oil

sautee onion, garlic and habanero on medium-low heat until tender

drain & rinse the chickpeas in a colander

add to the onions and stir

add the veggie stock and bring everything to a boil

add the salt, white pepper and lime juice

cover and reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes

slice the tomatoes lengthwise and add them to the pot

cover and simmer for 5 more minutes

add the spinach leaves - let them steam on top of the mix for about 3 minutes

stir in the spinach leaves and leave on low heat until you're ready to serve

garnish with sour cream and serve with a bit of broth

tips:

this should be thick like a stew. make sure to taste the chickpeas to make sure they're tender enough before you serve.

serves two adults as a main course. this will almost certainly make fantastic leftovers.

soup for folks with little time to cook

i have some kind of cold or allergy, apparently. when i went to the store to pick up some antihistamine, i thought i'd pick up a can of soup, too - you know, just for good measure. all of the soups looked pretty dismal and i didn't want to sacrifice my sodium intake for the next few days, so i decided to whip one up on my own. it was met with rave roommate reviews and only took about 20 minutes to have on the table.

ingredients:

2 cans of stock (chicken or veggie, your choice)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed well (2 cups, if you make from scratch)

2 cans black beans, rinsed well (or 4 cups)

2 cups frozen corn

1 habanero pepper, de-stemmed, de-seeded and minced (be careful!)

1 tsp white pepper

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic

juice of one lime

sour cream to garnish, optional

salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

equipment:

for best results, you'll need an immersion blender

to make:

bring stock, chickpeas, onions, garlic and white pepper to a boil

add habanero

blend with an immersion blender

add black beans, corn, lime juice

salt to taste

serve with sour cream

stir to reincorporate ingredients (particularly the pureed chickpeas) before serving and periodically throughout the meal.

enjoy. there are no tricks to this one. but do be careful with that habanero.