Instead of green eggs and ham by Dr. Seuss, how about green pea risotto with plant-based ham?
This recipe uses a mix of blended peas, whole peas, and snap peas to create a vibrant color and luxurious taste.
I hope you try it for dinner sometime, it’s a treat that’s worth the effort!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp + 3 Tbsp vegan butter or margarine
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup short-gran brown rice
- 1 cup bourbon, white wine, or water
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
- 1 cup vegan ham slices, chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pan, melt 3 Tbsp of vegan butter over medium-high heat, then cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the rice, stirring to coat each rice grain with the butter and onion mix. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add the bourbon or white wine and stir until most of the alcohol has evaporated.
Start adding the broth or water 1 cup at a time, cooking over low heat and stirring frequently until each cup of liquid has been absorbed. This will take about 45 minutes, so be patient and try not to walk away from the stove. Once the rice is just cooked but not crunchy, it’s ready for the peas.
While the rice is cooking, get the peas ready. Warm the frozen peas in the microwave or small pot on the stove until they’re defrosted, then set aside 1/2 cup of them to leave whole.
Pour the rest of the peas in a blender with 1/4 cup cooking water, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth (add a bit more water if needed for blending). Also, chop up the snap peas and plant-based ham into bite-sized pieces.
Once the rice is ready, mix in the snap peas and ham, followed by the blended and whole peas. Warm just until heated but don’t overcook this, or the green color will fade.
Finally, rapidly stir in the remaining 3 Tbsp butter until melted and thoroughly combined. You can also mix in the vegan parmesan at this point, but we prefer to keep it on the side. Serve in bowls and eat it hot and fresh. Enjoy!
Inspiration
For today’s inspiration, here’s a beautiful message from the exciting “Love is Served” cookbook by Cafe Gratitude, which I will be playing with over the next few months:
“Success is not just measured by tables filled with people feeling welcome, appreciated, and satisfied… The true success of our mission is when these same individuals go out into the world ready to pass on those exceptional feelings. And so a more beautiful world is made.“
If every word we say, each action we take can inspire just one other person to spread love and joy, we can continually make the world a little bit more beautiful.
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