I have a long-standing love affair with rice for breakfast, but I could never get behind those quaint recipes that tell you to eat sweetened rice and cinnamon like you would oatmeal. No thanks, save the rice pudding for dessert. Savory is where it's at. Risotto may seem like a bit too much stirring for the morning, but have your coffee, put on some music, and go for it -- I promise it's worth the effort. Spiked with fennel for a bit of a sausage-y flavor, this melt-in-your-mouth risotto is a warm auburn color. It's delicious as an entree, or as a side dish instead of potatoes.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bell pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons {fennel seeds}, chopped
1 teaspoon dried {thyme}
a few dashes fresh {black pepper}
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
4 leaves fresh sage, chopped (optional)
Preheat a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the red bell pepper and shallots in the oil for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, thyme, and pepper and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add the wine and salt, then turn the heat up so that the wine boils and reduces -- about 2 minutes. Lower the heat back to medium.
Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes. The rice should soak up the liquid from the pot and become light brown. Add the broth by the cupful, stirring the risotto after each addition until the broth is mostly absorbed (6 to 8 minutes). If the broth isn't absorbing, raise the heat a bit. It absorbs faster as the rice gets more and more tender.
With your last addition of broth, add the sage, adjust salt and pepper if needed, and stir. Serve when broth is mostly absorbed but the rice is still creamy.
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Servings: 6
Recipe By: Isa Chandra Moskowitz
From: Vegan Brunch
Used with permission of Da Capo Lifelong Books