MY COMFORTING DINNER IN A FLASH

If you are looking for a quickie, comfort meal I think I have you covered with this recipe. Let me say, you may want to know that many of my meal creations as of lately come together as I prepare them. It goes like this:

I have a longing and or an idea in mind and I start prepping. Haphazard for some I suspect yet this is me in the moment.  For this meal… with a bag of Explore Cuisine chickpea risotto on hand (I’ve wanted to make it for some time), I knew I could make dinner quickly. It was pressing 7pm,
I was feeling a growing hunger and very keen to get a meal on the table. Ever been there?

If so then read on so you can navigate this situation with ease...

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Did I mention I also wanted to cook up the lovely, fresh, wild oyster mushrooms I just bought from my beloved organic delivery service Emile Peloquin and use some of the huge bag of onions a friend brought me?  What you’ll find here is a relaxed recipe made in under 30 minutes that gives the impression of being a fussed over creation. It’s company worthy to be sure yet this was made during the COVID-19 distancing restrictions so all the left overs will be mine. There is good in everything if we look for it right? Ha ha.
 

•  Main Course
• Prep Time: easy and only about 20 – 25 minutes
• Serves 3
• Vegan, Gluten, Corn, soy and Dairy-free

 
INGREDIENTS:
1, 227gr bag chickpea risotto
2 medium white onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ lb. oyster, shiitake or cremini mushrooms, thinly chopped or sliced
Olive Oil, as desired
2 cups+ pasta cooking water or veggie broth
½ cup white wine
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
½-1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, as desired
 
GARNISH:  2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
 
DIRECTIONS

1. Having never made this pasta before I pre-cooked the risotto in about 10 cups well salted water about 5 minutes, drained and reserved 2 cups of the water.
2. While this was cooking, I heated a large, 12 inch non-stick sauté pan on medium high, added the onions and cooked about 5 minutes adding a splash of water as needed and pinch sea salt.
3. Next, I reduced the heat to medium, stirred in the garlic, drizzled in the olive oil and added the mushrooms spacing out as best possible.
4. Once browned, about 6-7 minutes, I reduced the heat a little, added a pinch of sea salt, a generous grind of black pepper, the semi cooked risotto along with the white wine.
5. As the liquid simmered way, I kept topping it up with about ½ cup of the cooking water using up all 2 cups.  You may need a little more or less pending on the creaminess you prefer.  This only took about 6 minutes or so.
6. At this point, it was a sip of white wine and a taste test for doneness.  Perfect for me so in went the nutritional yeast and the parsley and I was ready to plate.

 TO SERVE:
I piled a generous serving in a bowl, topped with a drizzle of truffle oil, more black pepper and pine nuts. Paired with a glass of white wine this was just so perfect.
Cooks confessions: Yes I went back for another spoonful!
                                                                                                                                                                                            TERI’S TIPS:

• I didn’t mention this above yet I added a heaping tsp white miso paste with the first pasta water addition for added richness.  It’s completely optional and not needed.
• If you make this recipe do let me know how you like it and if you made any changes to suit your taste-buds and ingredient availability.
• Lastly let me say, I may try making this the traditional risotto manner with the dry pasta sautéed first and liquid added over the course of the entire cooking time yet this route was so easy I may just leave it as is.

Images property of Teri Gentes unless otherwise stated