Artichoke, red onion & rosmary risotto

Oh how I enjoy having days off from work, especially with the great sunny and warm days we're having since a few days. I feel just like a reborn and awake from winter. I even enjoyed my first breakfast on the sunny balcony - great. Hopefully winter isn't coming back - as it happend years before. But don't scream winter back!

When walking throught the market seeing vegetables coming into season, my mouth started watering AND as every year I have a look at the fresh Artichokes, hesitating to grab some as I never prepared fresh ones and to be true I don't really know how to. I've seen recipes but only for a appetizer and I'm afraid  I might not like it as much as I do the canned ones. So, till I will kick myself into my own ass and make the step I rather stay with the canned ones. BUT there will be a day when I will try them, maybe sooner than I will know. 

For my todays dish I had artichokes in mind, defenetly a italian dish and a risotto first came up. If the risotto is kept on the lighter side I really do like it much. And so will be this dish - with fresh herb and vegetable.

Risotto mainly served without a side but as a salad-lover I needed is a side. Oh so good, the next rice dish I will make is defently going to have fresh aspargus with or a rice-aspargus-ragout...... So many ideas - but only one mouth to feed. 

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Artichoke, red onion and rosmary risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 red onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 red peppers, cut into chunks
2 tbsp. rosmary needles
140 g arborio risotto rice
150 ml vegan white wine
850 ml vegetable stock
400g tin artichoke hearts in water, drained and halved
2 tbsp. grated vegan parmesan or nutrional yeast
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts

Direction:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Cook the onions gently for 6-7 mins until softened and browning. Add the peppers and rosemary and cook for a further 5 mins. Add rice and stir well.

Pour in the wine and the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally until almost all the liquid has absorbed.

Stir in another of the stock and simmer again, until it’s all absorbed. Finaly add the artichokes and simmer again until rice is tender. (if not add some more stock or wine)

Season and stir in the Parmesan and ½ the pine nuts. Stir well under and serve on warm plates. 

Serve with a fresh salad