78 October 2013 www.womanthismonth.com VEGETARIAN RISOTTO 350g fresh asparagus 2 tbsp olive oil 4-5 spring onions, ends trimmed and sliced 175g fresh peas 250g fresh broad beans, shelled 2 tbsp basil, chopped 2 tbsp chives 1 tbsp mint, finely chopped 1 lemon, finely grated zest 1 1/2 litres water 3 vegetable stock cubes 4 shallots, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 300g arborio rice 25g rocket leaves • Clean and slice the asparagus into 5cm diagonal lengths. • Heat half of the oil in a large and non-stick frying pan. • Tip in the asparagus and stir-fry over a medium-high heat for about 4 minutes or until nicely browned all over. October is generally a quiet month in the culinary world except for Halloween cooking up a few creative ideas. I was recently informed that October 1 is celebrated as World Vegetarian Day (in the USA), which kicks off a month-long vegetarian awareness campaign. My favourite of the newly acquired wisdom is that October 4 is ‘Hug a Non-meat Eater Day’. And it is to all my nonmeat eating friends that I send a hug through a few new recipes to spice up your meals and to prove the versatility of the vegetarian kitchen with a salad, soup, biryani and risotto. LIFESTYLE | food A Meat-free DIET • Stir in the spring onions and fry with the asparagus until browned. • Remove; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. • Cook the peas and beans separately in a little boiling water, then drain. • When the broad beans are cool enough to handle, pop them out of their skins. Set the peas and beans to one side. • Mix the basil, chives, mint and lemon zest together in a small bowl and season with pepper. Set aside. • Pour the stock into a saucepan and keep it on a very low heat. • Pour the remaining oil into a large, wide sauté pan. • Tip in the shallots and garlic, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. • Stir in the rice and continue to stir for 1 to 2 minutes over a medium to high heat. • As it starts to sizzle, stir in the hot stock a little at a time so it simmers and is absorbed after each addition. To tell when it is ready to have the next addition of liquid, drag by JAMES CLAIRE the spoon across the bottom of the pan and it should leave a clear line. Keep stirring the whole time, to keep the risotto creamy. Continue adding the stock as above. • After 20 minutes, the rice should be soft. If it isn’t, add more. Season it with a little salt and pepper. • Take the pan off the heat. Pour over a small amount of remaining stock then scatter over all the vegetables, a grinding of pepper and the herb mix. • Cover with lid, let the risotto sit for 3 to 4 minutes to rest. Gently stir, if necessary adding a drop more of the remaining stock for good consistency. Serve.
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