Zucchini Risotto

Alright, once again I have to apologize for not having posted anything for so long. At least this time I wasn’t being lazy – it’s just that my flatmate, whose amazing camera I use to take pictures, left for on holiday, and I don’t have a camera that can take pictures worthy of the last ones. Hopefully though you were all too busy eating your own food during Christmas and celebrating the new year (Happy New Hear, by the way!) to notice that it’s been a while since the last post. And to make up for it, I have something really special coming up on Wednesday (if it works that is, I’m just about to start cooking). Anyway I hope you enjoy today’s recipe!

I honestly don’t know how this is the first time I’ve ever made this – there was a period where my mom made this all the time (maybe it’s because back then I was still a silly young boy who didn’t like zucchini). But now that I’ve made this amazing risotto for myself for the first time I’m very glad to be posting it because it was absolutely delicious. Few ingredients, and very simple to make – like most risottos once you get the basic technique they’re all kind of the same method with different ingredients. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 400g arborio risotto rice
• 3 zucchini (courgettes work fine if you can’t find zucchini), diced into small cubes
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 small white onion, chopped into small pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, halved
• splash of white wine
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• 1 litre vegetable stock, boiling

Preparation (45 minutes)

Drizzle some olive oil on a pan on medium heat and add the red onion. Stir for 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir for another 2 minutes, then add the zucchini. Add some salt and pepper and leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to maximum and stir continuously for about 2 minutes, then turn down to minimum and leave to simmer. Place a large, non-stick pot on maximum heat and drizzle in some olive oil. Add the white onion and stir until it starts turning golden. Add the rice, and stir continuously for about 2 minutes, then add the white wine and continue stirring until it has all evaporated. Add some salt and about 200ml of the vegetable stock and stir every once in a while until all of the water has evaporated. Repeat until you’ve added about 700ml, then start adding less vegetable stock at a time and start tasting the rice. It should only take about 800ml to cook the rice, but depending on how hot your stove is it might take less or more, so make sure you check it to make sure it doesn’t overcook (which is horrible). Once it’s ready, remove from the stove and add the nutritional yeast, stir it in, and serve!