Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (44 page)

RISOTTO VARIATIONS:

Don’t limit yourself to these ideas, but use them to create your own dishes when you are comfortable with the basics. And when these become second nature, try some even fancier variations, like my Asparagus and Pine Nut Vodka Risotto (
page 197
) or Tomato and Walnut Risotto (
page 198
).

POACHED GARLIC AND BROCCOLI

Use Poached Garlic (
page 54
) in place of the minced garlic. Sauté 1½ cups of broccoli in a little Garlic Infused Oil (
page 54
) in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until bright green and still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add to the slow cooker with some more Poached Garlic once the risotto is cooked.

SPINACH AND SMOKY TOFU

Add commercially prepared or homemade Smoked Tofu (
page 27
) and sautéed shallots to the slow cooker with the rice. Add 1 packed cup baby spinach in the last 15 minutes to wilt.

MUSHROOM

Saute ½ cup finely chopped mushrooms with the garlic and shallot. Use Mushroom Stock (
page 44
) as your liquid and stir in ½ cup sautéed mushrooms at the end of the cooking time. I like shiitakes for the chewiness they add.

PUTTANESCA STYLE

Sauté one finely chopped red pepper with the garlic and shallot; add finely chopped olives, chile flakes to taste, and 2 tablespoons capers before adding to the slow cooker with the rice.

HERBED RISOTTO

Add ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, or any other herbs you wish along with the rice to the slow cooker. Finish with ½ cup shredded fresh basil stirred through once the rice is cooked.

Asparagus and Pine Nut Vodka Risotto

I
NSTEAD OF WHITE
wine, which is the liquid you’d expect to see in risotto, I made this one with vodka, which, while subtle, really allows the flavors of the asparagus to shine. Don’t discard the hard ends of the asparagus; freeze for making stock. See Classic Risotto (
page 195
) for hints on making your own risotto variations.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes

¾ cup pine nuts
 

2 tablespoons water
 

1 tablespoon Garlic Infused Oil (
page 54
) or olive oil

½ medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves Poached Garlic (
page 54
), minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper
 

1 cup Arborio (risotto) rice
 

½ cup vodka, white wine, or vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

2¾ cups Asparagus Stock (
page 44
), vegetable stock, or a combination
 

One bunch (½ pound) asparagus, hard ends removed, chopped into ¼-inch lengths
 

Salt and black pepper

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Toast the pine nuts in a medium skillet over medium heat until aromatic and golden, taking care not to burn, about 5 minutes. Transfer ½ cup to the slow cooker and the remaining ¼ cup to a spice grinder or small food processor.

2.
Grind the nuts to a fine powder. In the lid of the spice grinder or a small bowl, combine the nuts with the water and mix to form a paste.

3.
Place the oil in the same skillet and sauté the onion through the pepper until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

4.
Add the rice and toss to coat.

5.
Use the vodka to deglaze the skillet, cook until mostly absorbed, 2 minutes, and transfer to the slow cooker.

6.
Add the stock and nut paste to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

7.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 1 hour, or until the rice is almost tender and the liquid nearly absorbed.

8.
Add the asparagus, cover, and cook for 1 hour, or until both the rice and asparagus are tender. Remove from the slow cooker so the residual heat doesn’t overcook the rice or asparagus.

9.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

Tomato and Walnut Risotto

T
HIS ONE IS
so very good even though at first glance you’d be forgiven for wondering how on earth it works. The nutty walnuts combine well with the tart-sweet vibrancy of the tomatoes and elevate both flavors to the sublime. The nuts can be toasted in advance and held until required, or done first, before the skillet is used for sautéing the vegetables. Other nuts—pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts—can be substituted for the walnuts if necessary.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes

3 tablespoons untoasted walnuts

1 tablespoon water
 

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 celery stalk, finely chopped
 

1 cup Arborio (risotto) rice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper
 

1 cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

1 cup vegetable stock

One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained

¹
/
₃
cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
 

½ cup toasted walnut pieces
 

Salt and black pepper

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
In a mini food processor or spice grinder, grind the untoasted walnuts into a fine meal, taking care not to grind into walnut butter. Using the lid of the spice grinder or a small bowl, mix with the water until a smooth paste forms. Place in the slow cooker.

2.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat, and sauté the onion through the celery until soft but not browned, 5 minutes. Add the rice through the pepper and sauté for 2 minutes.

3.
Add the 1 cup vegetable stock to the rice, stirring constantly until most of the liquid is absorbed.

4.
Transfer the rice mix to the slow cooker, and add the remaining stock through the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir well.

5.
Cover, turn heat to LOW, and cook for about 2½ hours, until the rice is tender and liquid absorbed.

6.
Reserve 1½ tablespoons of the toasted walnuts to use as garnish; add the remaining toasted nuts to the risotto. Stir in, turn off the heat, cover, and stand for 10 minutes.

7.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

8.
Garnish, if desired, with the reserved toasted walnuts sprinkled on top of each bowl and serve.

Red Rice and Beans