Rainbow Risotto, Blueberry Pancakes, Arugula Pizza

This week was chock-full-of cooking. I whipped up Flax-infused Blueberry Pancakes with raspberry maple syrup on Wednesday. Thursday was all about beautiful homespun pizza topped with fresh arugula as well as my favorite Vegan Pineapple Carrot Cake.....and Friday was Rainbow Risotto (adapted from D. Chopra's recipe) with white beans, arugula, celery, carrots, and zucchini. Here is the recipe:

Rainbow Risotto

1.5 cups shallots or onions, chopped

1 tablespoon tamari

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon sage

2 cups arborio rice - rinsed and drained

6 cups vegetable stock

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then into ¼-inch slices

1 cup cooked white beans drained and rinsed

2 cups arugula - coarsely torn

2 tablespoons fresh basil thinly sliced

Chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions with the Aminos, vinegar, pepper, dried basil, thyme, and saute until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the rice and sauté, stirring constantly. Add stock a little at a time and allow the rice to absorb the stock each time before adding more. Keep stirring. Risotto should have a soft (not mushy) texture with a creamy consistency. Be careful not to overcook or let the rice dry out. The cooking process will take about 20 to 30 minutes total. Taste the rice for texture.
3. Heat the remaining teaspoon oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the carrots, celery, zucchini and beans. Add some stock if necessary to keep the vegetables moist. Saute until the carrots are al dente.
4. Add the arugula and continue to sauté until just wilted. Pour all the ingredients from the sauté pan into the rice, add the fresh herbs and gently combine. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Top with a high quality grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese.

It is officially winter here in New England. We may or may not be in for a great deal of snow tonight. Irregardless, there are Vegan Golden Vanilla Cupcakes in my not too distant future. To stave off melancholy - I am going to be doing a great deal of Ashtanga yoga, baking, practicing the piano and reading. (Check out my favorite bookstore The Other Tiger in Westerly, RI http://www.othertiger.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp )

In the interim, there are fresh pink tulips in a vase in my kitchen, reminding me that Spring is going to sneak up on us - eventually. The key here is to keep happy, not just busy.