Being that I live in Connecticut right now and that today was a landmark day here in terms of civil rights, I’m wishing that I had stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some Rainbow Swiss Chard. But, I already had an aging bag of spinach, so there you have it. Oh, the Diet Coke in the rainbow cans (with nutrition!) might have been a good addition too, but I think that stuff tastes gross. So anyways, I went ahead with my original dinner plan, and here I present it to you. I’ll have to do a theme meal the next time I’m living in a state that realizes that all adults deserve the right to marriage. Don’t say it won’t happen- I’m on state number two, and my brother lives in the other one- we must be good luck!
Pumpkin-Spinach Risotto
1 onion, diced finely
1 clove garlic, minced finely
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 Tbs olive oil
2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 cup vegan white wine
6 cups vegan chick’n broth, hot (keep it on the stove in a separate pan)
1 can pumpkin puree (fresh is better, I’m sure)
6-7 cups uncooked baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Teese, optional
Salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste
1. Add the carrot and onion to the oil in a dutch oven.
2. Sauté for 2 or so minutes, then add the garlic.
3. Sauté for another moment, and then add the dry rice to the mix.
4. When the rice is coated with oil, add the whole cup of white wine. It’s okay if this is cold, but no other cold liquids!
5. When the wine is absorbed by the rice, begin adding the hot broth, 1 cup at a time.
6. Wait for each cup to be absorbed before adding the next, keep stirring throughout. Think of this as your meditation time.
7. Add the pumpkin and a bit of grated nutmeg, taste for spice.
8. Broths vary widely by their sodium, so taste before adding any salt. Keep tasting to get it right. Under-salted is a little better at this point. Add pepper to taste, as well.
9. Add Teese, if using. Taste again for salt; add if necessary.
10. Add the spinach in batches. It should take a couple of minutes to get it all in the pan and wilted.
11. Serve. I added Trader Joe’s UnChicken to the top, but you can add (or not add) anything you like.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. VeganMoFo.
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