Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

Being the lone vegan in a family of meat eaters, every holiday meal becomes a task. This year I decided that I would make something so epic, something so ah-mazing, no one in my family would miss the fact that there was no meat and (gasp) no cheese! So this Easter, bomb risotto was born. Now, risotto is one of those meals that sounds fancy and has a reputation that it's difficult to make. But I have to say I think that's a cop out. This risotto was easy, tasty, and had me dreaming of it again a few days later. And so we had it twice in one week. (Oh, and if your kids are picky like mine, tell them it's "cheesy rice" not risotto. My kids fear anything with a fancy name. Seriously.) Without further adieu, I give you Mushroom and Spinach Risotto, taken from dairy free cooking:

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

Serves 4

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces dried shitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2½ cups vegetable broth
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 t. sea salt, plus more to taste
• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 T. dairy-free soy margarine
• 1 ½ T. nutritional yeast
• Black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine the boiling water with the shitake mushrooms, and let them soak, uncovered for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid into a medium-sized saucepan and discard the mushrooms. Add the vegetable broth to the sauce pan, bring the mixture to a simmer and cover.
2. In a small bowl, toss the spinach, lemon juice and 1 t. of the salt. Set aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 T. of the olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 T. of olive oil and the rice, and, stirring constantly, cook until the rice is evenly coated and sounds like crispy rice cereal in the pan, making snapping and popping noises, about 4 minutes. Add the wine, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid is completely absorbed.
4. Ladle ¾ cup of the simmering broth into the rice and cook, continuing to stir, until most of the liquid is absorbed.Continue to add the broth in ¾-cup increments, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before another addition, until the rice is translucent around the edges but still solid in the middle and the rice is of a creamy consistency, about 20 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and cook for just about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the spinach is wilted and bright green. Stir in the dairy-free soy margarine and nutritional yeast. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

So the key to making an amazingly creamy risotto is constant stirring. I know it seems a little much, but trust me it's only about 15-20 minutes of stirring and it's totally worth it! We also added in some asparagus and a little extra garlic and served with a green salad. So fantastic. This one is definitely going into heavy rotation at our house!