Meatless Monday: Mushroom-Broccoli Risotto

Who doesn’t love risotto? There are so many variations on it. My husband is kind of addicted to making it every couple of weeks since he read how in Jamie Oliver’s “Jamie’s Italy” cookbook. It is easy, though time-consuming, so here’s a quick variation on risotto that’s still delicious. Yes, there’s butter and parmesan, but the vegetable content take the guilty edge off, just a bit!

Soften a chopped onion in a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add some fresh herbs (we used rosemary). Then add 1-1/2 cups of uncooked long-grain rice and stir it around for a couple of minutes. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, put a few handfuls of any kind of mushrooms into a roasting dish  and roast in a 400 degree oven. When rice mixture is bubbling, add in a couple of stalks of finely chopped broccoli. (Notice the green colour of the risotto in the photo? It’s because of the broccoli.) Stir rice mixture occasionally, and when it thickens and rice is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in a 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. Distribute among plates and top with roasted mushroom–splus a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a twist of salt and pepper, if you dare.

What’s your favourite risotto? Share the recipe with Best Health readers!