Wild Mushroom Risotto

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My little piece of the Pacific Northwest is cooooold tonight.  Minus 5 (celsius) and a cloudless sky.  We got a sprinkling of snow on Superbowl Sunday and the icy breeze nipped at my exposed ears and nose on my walk home from work.
I’ve been cooking vegetarian a few times a week; curried lentil stews, falafels made with chickpeas and fresh herbs topped with homemade Tzatziki.  We’re enjoying the plant based protein.  I will always be a comfort food girl however so even my vegetarian meals are hearty and liberally spiced and flavoured.
I had a small box of dehydrated wild mushrooms (with Porcini, Chanterelle, Shiitake, Portabella and Oyster Mushrooms)  in my pantry – call me eccentric!, so I threw together a kale and roasted beets salad with walnuts and made an oh-so tasty risotto.
The key to perfectly cooked risotto is to never stop stirring.  So although this dish is vegetarian, it’s not exactly low cal.  But you’ll get an arm workout while preparing it so it evens things out right? – always looking on the bright side.
Servings: 2  (double all ingredients to serve 4-5)
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 box dehydrated wild mushroom medley or 1/2 pound mixed fresh mushrooms: cremini, Portabella, shitake, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped.
  • 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary – I still have some in my garden in the middle of winter! 
  • 3 shallots finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup of white wine – If you don’t have wine use a 1/8 cup of water with 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar.  It tastes just as good. 
  • 2 cups of mushroom stock
  • 1 teaspoon butter optional
  • Parmesan cheese, grated to garnish
  • Finely chopped chives for garnishing

Instructions

Because I used dehydrated mushrooms (and if you are too) – I started by placing them in a bowl and covering them with boiling water until they were rehydrated and ready to chop.

Heat the stock in a small pot over the stove or in the microwave for about 2 minutes and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the mushrooms over medium-high heat until nicely browned then add the rosemary and butter and cook one minute more. Remove to a bowl

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and saute the shallots until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute more.

Stir in the rice until the edges are opaque and the center pearly white, about 2 minutes.

Add the wine (or apple cider vinegar and water mixture)  and a pinch of salt to the pan, and cook until reduced.

Add 1 cup of the stock to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium low and start stirring until nearly absorbed. Repeat this process, adding the stock by ½  a cup and stirring until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms. Taste for seasoning. Serve and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chives.

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bon appetit!
Love,
Jennifer

2 Comments Add yours

  1. Im SO making this! thank you for sharing

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