Brown Rice Risotto

On windy and rainy days like we have just had a few of, I automatically start to crave comfort food. The only problem is that most comfort foods are not always the most healthiest of choices and often high in fat and carbohydrates and lacking vegetables. That is why I have tried to healthify some comfort food recipes, like my risotto recipe. It is bulged out with vegetables and made with brown rice.

Using brown risotto rice actually makes risotto making a lot easier. They do take a little bit longer to cook and there is the downside that you need to remember to soak the rice over night, but besides that, the rice pretty much cook them self, no need to add the stock a little at a time and the constant stirring like with a white rice risotto, which can be a bit tricky.

Serves 3-4 people

250g brown risotto rice ( I use )

750ml stock of choice

1 squash

300g mushrooms ( I used a mix of shiitake, button and 10g dried porcini soaked before use)

Oil for frying.

handful of grated Lactofree cheddar (optional)

salt to taste

Soak the risotto rice in water over night.

When ready to cook, drain and add the stock. Bring to a boil, then cover with lid and bring down the heat to a simmer. Stir about every 10 minutes.

Grate the squash and chop the mushrooms (I like to do a mixture of finely and roughly chopped, to give different textures.)

Add some oil to a pan and sauté the squash and mushrooms. You might need to sauté them in batches.

After the risotto have been cooked for 30 minutes, add the vegetables and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes. If to thick add a bit more water and if too thin, cook for a bit longer. risotto should be a bit runny but not watery in consistency.

Stir in the cheese and add salt if needed.

Enjoy,

Mia

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