Creamy Tomato & Roasted Veggie Risotto (Vegan & Meat Options)

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 MINUTES | Brown rice time: 45 MINUTES | Cook time: 35 MINUTES

Looking for a delicious creamy risotto that can be served with or without meat? Then this is the recipe for you to alter, as required.

Ingredients

For Biodynamic Brown Rice

• 3 cups of rice
• 4 cups of filtered water

For the roasted vegetables

• 1 tbsp organic olive oil
• 300g organic cherry tomatoes
• 2 red capsicum
• 2 large zucchinis’
• Season with pink salt and organic black pepper

For the risotto

• 1 tbsp organic olive oil
• 1 large organic red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 cups of biodynamic brown rice
• 25g grass-fed butter or ghee
• 250 ml organic passata
• 250 ml organic vegetable stock or beef bone broth
• Optional: 6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
• Optional: 2 x large organic chicken breast
• A small bunch of fresh basil, torn
• Season with pink Himalayn salt and black pepper
• Optional: Parmesan cheese

Instructions

To cook the Biodynamic Brown Rice

1. Add 3 cups of rice to rice cooker and 3.5-4 cups of filtered water
2. Cooks for approximately 30-40 minutes in the rice cooker, then a further 15-20 minutes on warm.

To roast the vegetables

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Chop the zucchini and capsicums into small chunks, add cherry tomatoes and spread out in dish, adding the salt and pepper before giving everything a shake to coat.
3. Drizzle the olive oil to the roasting dish and mix in with vegetables.
4. Roast for 30 minutes.

To make the risotto

1. Meanwhile, add olive oil to large wok or frying pan, on a low-medium heat.
2. Optional: cook organic chicken breast (cover pan to cook more thoroughly on medium heat). Remove meat from the pan when cooked.
3. Sauté the onion for two minutes before adding the crushed garlic and cooking for another minute.
4. Stir in the rice for approx 30 seconds, to coat it in the oil.
5. Pour in the passata and bone broth or vegetable stock, but only 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between the two, so it will be absorbed by the rice more effectively.
6. After 20 minutes, add in the chicken (optional), sundried tomatoes and the roasted vegetables. Stir and add more liquid if needed. Cook for a further 5 minutes until everything is cooked through and the rice is done.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, salt and pepper, grass-fed butter and parmesan cheese (if using). Feel free to stir in any extra oil or dairy-products at this point for an extra creamy risotto.
8. Serve and enjoy.