(Revised) Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto – Vegan Yum Yum – p. 139

Ingredients:
1 c. pearled barley (I revised the recipe and used Arborio Rice)
1 TBL. olive oil
½ tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 c. fresh or canned diced tomatoes, mashed a bit [I used fresh plum tomatoes]
1 c. soy milk [I used rice milk]
½ c. water
¼ c. nutritional yeast
3 TBL. miso mixed with 3 TBL. water [The recipe says to use mellow or white miso, I used red miso]
¼ to ½ tsp. salt [I omitted]

Procedure:

1) Put the barley, olive oil, oregano, and basil into your Le Cresuet. Turn heat to medium high and stir until barley is coated in oil.
2) One the barley begins sizzling (about a minute), add the garlic. Cook for another minute.
3) Add the tomatoes, non-dairy milk, water, nutritional yeast, miso, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is creamy, but not soupy, and the grains are cooked through but not mushy.

Comments:

This was delicious! The substitutions I used worked beautifully. Also, from my Williams Sonoma Technique classes, I learned that when making risotto, it helps if the liquid that you add in (in this case, the non-dairy milk and water) is heated rather than cold. The heated liquid penetrates the grains better, which in turn, leads to a decreased cooking time length. This is such a delicious dish, it gets a 5-star rating.

Granada Paella - The Urban Vegan By Dynise Balcavage - p. 78

After much muffin making, it was time to do some real cookin, Spanish-style! The above referenced recipe is from: The Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart Favorites to Haute Cuisine (Ch-ch-Check It Out!)

Ingredients:

2 TBL olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c. chopped red pepper
1 large vegan chorizo link (The author recommends, and I use, Trader Joe's brand)
2 c. Arborio rice
1/2 c. frozen peas
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 tsp. saffron
4-5 c. veggie stock
sea salt, to taste
lemon wedges for garnish

Procedure:

1) In a large pot (Finally making use of NMcL's new(ish) Le Creuset!), heat the oil over medium low heat and saute garlic.
2) Raise heat to medium and add the peppers.  Saute for 2. (minutes, duhh)
3) Add the crumbled chorizo.  Saute for 10.
4) Add the rice.  Stir well and cook for 1.
5) Add peas, tomatoes, saffron, and veggie stock.  Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and cover pan.  Cook for 15-20 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.  It should be slighlty wetter than risotto.
6) Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve hot!

The author suggests that in lieu of the chorizo, you can use 1) 1 c. white beans + 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or 2) 1 c. chopped seitan.  Since, I am trying to reduce my intake of soy products, I would definitely consider trying out these protein-rich alternatives.  Though I would imagine I would need to add some additional spices, since I think that the vegan chorizo added a lot of the spiciness and flavor to the dish.  Also, to add complexity to the dish, the author suggests adding in 1 tsp. fennel seeds while adding the veggie stock.