Easy-Bake Veggie Risotto
This dish is a cross between a true risotto and mom's comfort-food rice casserole. Regardless, it's creamy, no-guilt deliciousness. The key is to shred or chop your veggies into very small pieces.
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 2 qt. glass casserole/baking dish- shallow is better, if you want less cooking time.
Sauté 1-2 Tbsp. minced green onion (or other mild onion) in 2 Tbsp. butter for about 2 minutes, until softened. You could also add a small clove minced/pressed garlic to the sauté pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add ⅓ cup white wine, simmer on low, stirring often, until liquid is reduced to the point that it's no longer visible. Stir in 3½ cups warmed chicken or vegetable broth and 1 heaping cup of Arborio rice.
Transfer mixture into the greased casserole, cover, (use foil if dish has no lid), and bake for
10 -20 minutes, depending on dish size. Check it, stir, and if rice is al dente/firm-tender, it’s done. Add a little water if needed.
While the rice is in the oven, tiny-chop about 4 c. veggies of your choice such as broccoli, zucchini, peas (can be left whole), and/or ribbon-snipped bits of spinach, kale, broccoli leaves, or other greens.
Immediately after you pull the casserole out of the oven, quickly stir in the veggies, the cover again and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. No need to cook these farm fresh, delicate darlings– greens will wilt and the tiny bits of veggies will become firm-tender. If you prefer not to tiny-chop, simply pre-saute smallish bite-sized (diced/sliced/slivered) veggies in advance.
Voile! Dinner is ready. If you wish, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.
Tip: When I’m prepping veggies, I almost always chop an extra 2-3 cups just to have on hand in the fridge. I figure I might as well, as long as I’m doing it anyway. Put into a storage container and save to add to an omelet, stir fry, sandwich, pasta dish, etc. –or just toss with your favorite dressing right before serving, and you’ve got a terrific lunch salad.
Recipes created or adapted by Liz Talley, Urban Graze
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