Veggie Heaven

Want to add more vegetables to your diet, or have some extra veggies in the back of your fridge that need to be used or their going to get tossed? Well here is a delicious recipe that I turn to whenever I have a hankering for a meatless meal and don't worry it's hearty enough to fill the tummy's of the men in your lives too!

Roasted Vegetable Risotto

For those of you unfamiliar with risotto, it's a favorite of mine because it has a creamy texture that is created by adding broth that the rice absorbs and as a result releases starch, giving it a sticky, creamy texture without needing any cream. This particular recipe is great because you can substitute any of the vegetables for ones that you have in your fridge or that suit your palette; the combination's are limitless. The time you spend making this dish is well worth it. This recipe definitely makes enough for 2 nights of dinner and I even think it's better reheated!

Ingredients

2 small yellow squash
1 cup diced cremini mushrooms
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option
3 tbsp butter
1 white onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice (a short-grained variety)
3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
6 peices of crispy bacon (oh did I say meatless?! ok, so it's almost meatless)
1/4 cup dried basil



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Layout all your chopped veggies (minus the onion and garlic) on a non-stick sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to help release the veggies natural juices. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.



In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter on medium heat. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions softens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. (This is also about the time I usually begin cooking the bacon.)



Add a ladleful of broth to the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until absorbed. Make sure that all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice before you add more broth. Cook the risotto until the rice is al dente and all the broth has been used up.





Remove from the heat. Stir in the vegetables, Parmesan cheese and basil. Serve with crumbled bacon on top for a little crunch. Deliciouso!



Jacklyn Lorraine