Riced Vegetable Risotto

1.) The base of this risotto is just a few very basic ingredients. As pictured, I used Arborio rice, but any plain old white rice will do the trick.

2.) Start by getting your rice cooking. The cooking method will vary depending on what kind of rice you use. (Heck, use instant rice if you want!)

3.) In the meantime, chop up your vegetables into large chunks. This will make it easier for the food processor to break these down.

4.) Next, zest your lemon. You want to get about 1 tablespoon of zest. Don’t skip this ingredient, it really makes the dish!

5.) In a food processor, pulse your veggies until you have very small chunks, but do NOT turn your veggies into a puree.

6.) Heat a pan on medium with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add in your “riced” vegetables, and your frozen peas (if you choose to use peas). Lightly stir these for 3 or so minutes.

7.) Lastly, add your cooked rice, chopped chicken, lemon zest, ricotta, parmesan, and any spices to the pan. Stir well to combine. Allow this to heat all together for a few minutes. Plate, and enjoy!

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Riced Vegetable Risotto (Total Time: 35 minutes, Serves: 2 large portions, 4 small portions)

I randomly made this dish months ago in the winter, and completely forgot about it until now. I remember I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge that was nearing the end of its days, as well as a little leftover rice, and I ended up throwing this concoction together. While this dish is mostly vegetables, I do think the addition of the white rice is important to make it a little more satiating… and white rice is delicious! You can kind of go crazy and add whatever you want to this dish (bacon is really good in this), and you can rice just about any vegetable (cauliflower, carrots, summer squash, broccoli, etc). Sticking to measurements in this recipe is not that important, but, however you choose to make this, I would not omit the ricotta, lemon zest, or parmesan. These three ingredients really pull this dish together in both flavor and texture.

Ingredients*

About 2 large handfuls of cauliflower

1 large carrot

1 small yellow squash or zucchini

1/2 cup uncooked white rice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup frozen peas

1.5 cups chopped and cooked chicken

1/2 cup ricotta

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tbsp lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

any other spices/herbs (I recommend garlic and basil)

* Your veggies should produce about 3 cups once pulsated in the food processor.

Directions

1: Start by getting your white rice cooking. This method will vary depending on what kind of white rice you use. If you already have pre-cooked white rice, you can add this in to the recipe later.

2: Chop your veggies (except the peas) into large chunks, then place these in the food processor. Pulse the food processor until you have very small chunks of vegetables, but do NOT puree the veggies.

3: Next, zest your lemon. Then, heat a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add in your “riced” veggies, and your peas. Stir these for 3-4 minutes until the veggies start to become cooked. Next, add in all of your remaining ingredients (including your cooked white rice), and stir well over the heat for a few minutes.

4: Plate your dish, top with some fresh herbs and another sprinkle of parmesan, and enjoy!