Sweet Pepper Risotto
This is a great dish to use your peppers and you can double this recipe if you want to have leftovers to freeze easily. What could be better then you are own fresh risotto waiting for you on a moments notice in the freezer!
Ingredients:
6 to 7 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion or shallot
2 lg garlic cloves, minced (I always say go bold on garlic so if you want more…go for it!)
5-6 small peppers (any variety), finely diced
Salt to taste
1 1/2 cp arborio or carnaroli rice
1/2 cp dry white wine
generous pinch of saffron threads (optional)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley, or a mixture of parsley and thyme
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
Preparation:
Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan with a ladle nearby. Season with salt.
Heat the olive oil in a large, wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the onions or shallots.
Cook gently until they begin to soften, about three minutes.
Add the garlic, peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Cook, stirring, until the peppers are fragrant, about eight to 10 minutes.
Add the rice, and stir over medium heat until the grains are separate and beginning to crackle, about three minutes.
Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
The wine should bubble, but not too quickly — you want some of the flavor to cook into the rice.
When the wine has almost evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock (about 1/2 cup), enough just to cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly (adjust heat accordingly).
Rub the saffron threads between your fingers, and add to the rice.
Cook, stirring often, until the stock is just about absorbed.
Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry.
Continue for 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked through but still a little chewy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
When the rice is cooked through, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stir in another half cup of stock, the Parmesan and the herbs. Remove from the heat. The rice should be creamy; if it isn’t, add a little more stock. Stir once, taste and adjust seasonings, and Enjoy!
If you would like more veggies in this risotto, feel free to cook up additional amounts of the peppers or maybe finely chop another vegetable like your arugula from this week. It could be stirred in a few minutes before the cheese.
