Vegetarian meals pack in the flavor with parmesan and Teleme
cheeses
The search for tasty vegetarian meals continued the last few
weeks. For one week, I decided to try my hand at a risotto that can
be made vegetarian by substituting chicken broth for vegetable
broth. I’ve never had a very good record with any rice-based dish,
but I decided to try it anyway. This one mixed in wild mushrooms,
which can be found in abundance at local grocery stores. There are
two options when using mushrooms
– fresh are best if available – but many grocery stores now sell
dried mushrooms such as shitakes, oysters, porcini and more. These
can be placed in hot water for 30 minutes and they reconstitute so
that they are moist and soft for cooking.
Vegetarian meals pack in the flavor with parmesan and Teleme cheeses
The search for tasty vegetarian meals continued the last few weeks. For one week, I decided to try my hand at a risotto that can be made vegetarian by substituting chicken broth for vegetable broth. I’ve never had a very good record with any rice-based dish, but I decided to try it anyway. This one mixed in wild mushrooms, which can be found in abundance at local grocery stores. There are two options when using mushrooms – fresh are best if available – but many grocery stores now sell dried mushrooms such as shitakes, oysters, porcini and more. These can be placed in hot water for 30 minutes and they reconstitute so that they are moist and soft for cooking.
When cooking risotto, the key is to add the liquid slowly and cook the rice over low heat for a long time. The recipe I used said it would take 35-40 minutes, but we actually had to cook it for nearly 30 minutes longer for the rice to get to the right tenderness. The creamy and tasty dish was well worth it, though.
For another Friday meal, we went with an old standby, minus the meat. At Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola a few weeks ago I had a polenta dish that included a rich marinara sauce, mushrooms and cheese. I decided to try my best to recreate it using some flavors from another recent meal. I sauteed up onions, garlic, mushrooms and fennel in a saute pan before added in some diced tomatoes and white wine. The polenta was cooked up in vegetable broth with parmesan cheese. And to make it a little more decadent, I sliced up some Teleme cheese, which has a creamy, rich texture to it.
Both meals turned out delicious and are good enough to make it into the regular repertoire – even when Lent is over.
Wild mushroom and asparagus risotto
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown
6 c. chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted)
1 c. dry white wine
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 c. finely chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c. Arborio rice
5 oz. wild mushrooms, cooked and coarsely chopped, approximately 3/4 c.
7 oz. asparagus, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 1 1/2 c.
2 oz. grated Parmesan, approximately 1/2 c.
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
In an electric kettle or medium saucepan with a lid, combine chicken broth and white wine and heat just to simmering. Keep warm.
In a large 3 to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the grains are translucent around the edges. Be careful not to allow the grains or the onions to brown.
Reduce the heat to low. Add enough of the wine and chicken stock just to cover the top of the rice. Stir or move the pan often, until the liquid is completely absorbed into rice. Once absorbed, add another amount of liquid just to cover the rice and continue stirring or moving as before. There should be just enough liquid left to repeat 1 more time. It should take approximately 35 to 40 minutes for all of the liquid to be absorbed. After the last addition of liquid has been mostly absorbed, add the mushrooms and asparagus and stir until risotto is creamy and asparagus is heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Taste and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
*Cook’s Note: If fresh wild mushrooms are not available, reconstituted dried mushrooms can be used instead. Place 2 ounces of dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with warm water. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until all the mushrooms are soft and pliable.
Creamy polenta with mushroom and fennel sauce
1 c. sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 c. sliced button mushrooms
2 fennel bulbs, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
½ c. white wine
1 c. quick-cooking polenta, cooked according to package directions
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ c. parmesan cheese
1 package Teleme cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable broth
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and then prep the vegetables. Add in garlic and onion first, cooking for three to five minutes. Then add in fennel and cook for another five minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for about three minutes. Add in white wine and allow to cook down to about half. Add in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
In a medium saucepan, start boiling the vegetable broth in place of the water on the directions for the quick cooking polenta. Bring to a boil and then add in the quick polenta. Stir continuously until it gets to a thick and creamy texture. Remove from heat and add in parmesan cheese.
When polenta and vegetables are done, plate up the polenta on a plate with a slice of the Teleme cheese. Serve with the vegetables on top.
