[photo of finished rice]
Risotto is a slow-cooked Italian rice dish. But sometimes, you don't have over an hour to cook a side dish. Don't worry! There's a much faster way that is almost as delicious - by using parboiled brown rice in this recipe you can significantly reduce cooking time. It's not as creamy as slow-cooked risotto (go ahead - throw some cheese in there instead!) but is a wonderful whole-grain side.
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 TB olive oil
6 garlic cloves (minced)
2.75 cup (140 g) onions chopped
1 cup (190 g) parboiled brown rice (e.g. Minute rice)
0.5 cup dry white wine (recommend Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc)
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (we like Better Than Bouillon paste)
1. Pour olive oil into a medium saucepan and turn to medium heat. When oil is hot add in the minced garlic and chopped onions. Cook until soft and almost caramelized.
2. Add dry rice and fry in the oil until you can see the grains are toasted - they should get darker but do not let them burn. You will need to mix the rice constantly during this time to evenly toast all of the grains.
3. When all grains are evenly toasted pour the white wine over the mix. Continue to mix until all of the wine has incorporated/evaporated (should only be a few minutes).
[toasted parboiled rice]
4. When the wine has incorporated/evaporated and the mix is now dry add broth to cover the rice mixture and mix well. You can mix less frequently now - just make sure not to allow the mixture to dry and stick to the bottom of the pan.
[wet parboiled rice]
5. When the broth has incorporated/evaporated, add more to cover the rice and mix well. Continue this process until rice is fully cooked.
Alterations
For a creamier risotto you can add grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella.
You can also add a cup of cooked spinach or mushrooms to add more vegetables to the mix.
Nutrition Facts (approx.)
Calories: 315
Total Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
Sodium: 516 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 41.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
Total Protein: 4.9 g