New Veggies “Spring” into Action

Spring is finally here, which means a whole new basket of vegetables to cook with. I love spring veggies. Asparagus, snow peas, baby carrots and leafy greens like spinach — what’s not to like?

Yesterday, I learned a quick and easy risotto recipe that takes full advantage of the new bounty, courtesy of Keith’s sister.

Springboard Risotto
Recipe from Kim

– 1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

– 7 cups chicken stock (or you can use any mix of white wine, water and stock, and use vegetable stock rather than chicken if you want to keep it vegetarian-friendly)

– 6 tablespoons butter, softened

– 1 medium onion (or 4 shallots, finely chopped)

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

– salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot. Saute the onions until they are lightly browned.

2) Add the rice and 6 cups of chicken stock. Cook until absorbed, adding stock as necessary.

3) Toss in the Parmesan. Add salt and pepper.

The recipe is super easy, and can be altered to include any combination of your favorite spring vegetables. Try it with asparagus and snow peas: steam the asparagus and peas in chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water) for a few minutes and then run them under cold water (or stick them in a bowl of ice water) to keep them nice and green. Add them to the risotto in Step 3.

[print recipe in PDF form]

Note: If you’re in the mood for a spinach salad, check out this recipe from Keith.