Spinach Artichoke Risotto

We love spinach artichoke dip…and we figured we should try using that concept as the basis for a Risotto! Luckily for us, it’s Artichoke Season, so that particular ingredient was fresh and plentiful! Once we tempted fate trying to Cook our Artichoke, we were well on our way to success (although you can always use jarred artichoke and make your culinary life a lot easier). We then added in some roasted diced red pepper, onion, garlic, and spinach before cooking our rice to a fluffy deliciousness. We highly recommend trying this one.

We decided to serve our risotto under Lemon Pepper Salmon since Salmon goes well with rice, artichokes, spinach, garlic, red peppers…all the things, really. The lemon zest in both components really worked wonders in tying them together into creating a cohesive dish.

Time: 50 Minutes (+ Time to Battle your Artichoke if not using fresh artichoke)

Ingredients (per serving):

• 1/3 Cup Arborio Rice
• 2.5 Cups Vegetable Stock
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Artichoke (or a jar of artichoke hearts)
• A handful of Spinach
• 1/4 Red Onion
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• Lemon Zest

Method:

• If using Fresh Artichoke, Prepare that First. If using prepared artichoke, skip to the next step.
• Dice your red pepper, and add it to a dry pan. Cook with no oil to char the outsides. You may want a fan on since it will smoke a bit. When your peppers are charred and roasted, remove from the pan, and set aside.
• As your peppers cook, do the math to figure out how much vegetable stock you need, and begin to bring it to a simmer.
• As your stock heats, dice your garlic, onion, and artichoke.
• Heat some oil in a large pan, and add your garlic and onions. Cook until the onion begins to turn opaque. Then, add in your peppers and diced artichoke, and sautee for a few more minutes.
• Add and stir in your rice to combine, and let cook for another few minutes until the rice goes from white to quasi-translucent.
• Pour about a quarter of your simmering water into your pan, and add a few handfuls of spinach in as well. Zest your lemon into the pan, and stir it in along with your spinach. Allow to set until the rice has absorbed most of your water.
• Pour in another quarter of your water (compared to original amount) so half of your water is still simmering, and half is either absorbed or absorbing. Continue adding this quantity of water each time the prior one is nearly absorbed.
• Once all of your simmering water is absorbed, and your rice is nice and fluffy, you’re done.
• Plate, devour, and enjoy!