Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish made form a short grain, starchy variety of rice called Arborio Rice. The technique involves stirring small amounts of hot broth into the rice at a time allowing the liquid to be absorbed as you go. The starch released from the rice gives this dish a rich, creamy consistency along with the added cashew cream. Grated beet gives this dish a gorgeous crimson colour that is complimented nicely with a spicy arugula walnut pesto!
Ingredients:
- 6 cups of vegetable broth or 6 cups of water mixed with 1 tbsp. of Better Than Bouillion paste. (keep warm on the stove)
- 3 fist sized organic beets, peeled and grated coarsely
- 4 tbsp. of avocado or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, outer layer removed, sliced thinly
- 1 Tbsp. of sea salt or more to taste
- 11/2 cups of organic arborio rice
- 1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup of cashew cream (recipe follows)
- one recipe of arugula walnut pesto (recipe follows)
Start off by preparing the pesto and the cashew cream as you will be consumed with stirring the risotto once you start!
Cashew Cream:
- 1/2 cup of raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour
- just enough water to blend it into a silky smooth paste
Blend the cashews with the water until smooth. Set aside. You will have extra cashew cream. You can try to halve the recipe but there won’t be enough cashews to get the mixture blending smoothly. Reserve the left over cream for a creamy soup! Set aside. Prepare the pesto.
Arugula Walnut Pesto
- 2 cups of organic arugula
- 1/2 cup walnuts ( almonds are also delicious)
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 2 cloves of peeled garlic
- 1 cup of olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. of sea salt or to taste
In a food processor combine the arugula, lemon, walnuts and garlic until the mixture begins to break down. Add the nutritional yeast and sea salt. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until a smooth paste forms. Taste and adjust saltiness. Set aside. You will have lots of extra pesto left over to toss with your favourite pasta or as a base for home made pizza. Store the leftover pesto in a sealed container in the fridge. It also freezes beautifully.
The Risotto:
Warm your 6 cups of broth and set over low heat to keep warm. Grate your beets and chop the leek making sure to remove the outer layer and to only chop the bottom 4-6 in. (the white part)
Heat the 4 Tbsp. of oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the sliced leek and saute until tender.
Add the 11/2 cups of rice and stir with a wooden spoon to coat with the oil.
Add the grated beet.
Stir well to combine
Begin to add the warmed broth 1/2 cup at a time stirring consistently between additions. Only add more broth as the previous half cup has been absorbed.
The Risotto will become thick and creamy and should not be mushy. The rice should attain a toothsome texture but not crunchy. If the rice is not cooked after you have used up all of your broth, feel free to add a bit more warm water. Stir in the 1/4 cup of cashew cream along with the balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Season with lots of freshly cracked pepper.
Serve topped with a dollop of Arugula Walnut Pesto and additional freshly cracked pepper.
