Lemon & garlic risotto with carrot, beetroot & courgette

Mr Vegan Man hit the kitchen again this past week with a view to knocking up something a little bit fancy for WOTVM.  This recipe is another original of ours, and in similar fashion to our previous risotto dish (see our archive) we've added some delicious garnishes to elevate it.  Mr Vegan Man has eaten plenty of risottos over the years as they are a restaurant veggie staple, however he sometimes finds that eating a whole bowl or plate of something that is all the same flavour and texture can get a little monotonous, no matter how delicious it is.  That is why he likes to add a few garnishes to add extra dimensions of flavour and texture when cooking risotto at home.

 

This is a great summer dish as it's fresh and surprisingly light for a risotto.  One reason for this is it contains no milk or cheese - it's another fully vegan recipe.  It also has a really nice look to it with lots of vibrant colours and would make an excellent dinner party dish.  We hope you enjoy it!

 

Ingredients (serves 2)

 

125g Arborio rice
1 small bulb of garlic

1 lemon
1 large courgette
Half medium white onion
250ml prosecco
500-600ml stock
25g pine nuts
1 small carrot
1 cooked beetroot
Few sprigs of dill
Few sprigs of flat leaf parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
0.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
Handful of pea shoots and rocket to garnish

Preparation and cooking time: 60-75 minutes

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C then break up your bulb of garlic, setting aside three cloves.  Toss the rest of the cloves, skin on, in half a tablespoon of olive oil and place in a roasting tin and then put them in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.

Whilst the garlic cloves are roasting, crush the remaining garlic cloves and finely chop your onion, carrot, beetroot and herbs.  Slice the courgette into think ribbons, just a few millimetres thick, and grate the zest of the lemon.  This is the bulk of your prep done.

Once the garlic cloves are cooked allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing the skins.  Blitz the garlic cloves with a tablespoon of olive oil using a blender or hand blender, or if you don't have a blender just use a bowl and a fork to break the garlic down into a rough paste.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and toast off the pine nuts in the pan, being careful not to burn them.  In a hot pan they will take seconds to toast.  Set aside the pine nuts ready to serve later. 

Swap the frying pan (you will use this later for the risotto so just move it to one side for now) for a griddle and reduce the heat very slightly to a medium high heat.  Brush the pan with a small amount of oil - vegetable oil is fine - and then griddle the courgettes for a couple of minutes each side, just long enough to take on some strips of colour and to soften.  Place the cooked courgettes in a bowl and cover with cling film, this will keep them warm until you serve.  If you want to serve them piping hot you can cook them alongside the risotto and the carrot and beetroot relish but this will necessitate a bit of juggling!

Move the frying pan back on to the heat and reduce to a medium heat.  Place half a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and allow to heat.  Take a medium saucepan and place it on a low heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.  Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan and soften for a few minutes, stirring regularly so that the onion and garlic do not brown or catch on the pan.

Add the rice to the onion and garlic and stir so that all of the grains are covered in the oil and juices from the pan.  Add the prosecco and allow this to be absorbed by the rice, stirring frequently to ensure even cooking.  When it reaches the consistency of a thick rice pudding, add some stock and repeat the process until the grains of rice are cooked.  This will take 20-25 minutes.  Halfway through cooking, add the roasted garlic puree and lemon zest and mix in.

When the risotto has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the diced carrot to the saucepan in which your olive oil has been heating over a low heat and stir so that the chunks are all coated.  Leave to cook on the low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the red wine vinegar and beetroot and mix together, leaving to cook for just a couple more minutes.

Right at the end, when the risotto is just cooked, taste the risotto and if it needs more lemon flavour then squeeze in the juice from the lemon that was zested earlier (add a bit at a time and keep checking to ensure you don't overdo the lemon).  Season the risotto well with salt and black pepper to taste.  Add the chopped parsley and dill to the carrot and beetroot and mix thoroughly and you are ready to serve.

Spoon the risotto into the middle of a plate or large bowl and top with the courgettes then scatter over the pine nuts and the carrot, beetroot and herb mixture.  Garnish with some fresh rocket and pea shoots.

That's it!  A beautiful, fresh and vibrant dinner.  Give it a try and let us know how you get on by leaving a comment below or by sending us an email.

Jamie's Italian, Norwich

Wife of the Vegan Man first went to Jamie's Italian in Bath many years ago and can remember exactly what she ate despite the consumption of several cocktails that evening, which is a good reflection on the quality of the food. When Jamie's Italian opened in Norwich WOTVM had mixed feelings, mainly due to the fact that the restaurant was to open in the building that previously housed the much loved Waterstones in the Royal Arcade. On her first visit not long after it opened she was pleased to see that it had been sympathetically renovated (all the restaurants are decorated in keeping with the era of the building) and was looking rather swish.

When we first came to eat here as a couple we must admit that the vegetarian options were limited and the vegan ones pretty non-existent, however as the food is freshly made the staff were always happy to accommodate a cheese hating vegetarian such as Mr Vegan Man. While we don't visit here too often we're pleased to say we have noticed a vast improvement in the veggie/vegan options on offer over the past couple of years. Also, in comparison to some other Italian restaurant chains where pizza is often the highlight of the menu, there's not a pizza in sight at Jamie's Italian. The focus here is more on fresh pastas and mains with an Italian twist.

Our reason for visiting on this occasion was as a Gold Club member (this is free, you can sign up on the website and there is also an app to download) WOTVM had a birthday treat of a free bottle of Prosecco to claim - well, it'd be rude not to really! As a Gold Club member you also get a free taster for everyone on your table and a 'treat' which ranges from £10 off your bill to a free glass of house wine, so it really makes sense to sign up for one.

We were greeted on arrival and quickly seated. The staff here are very friendly and know their stuff, most are happy to recommend a dish or drink if you're having trouble deciding. Our waiter, Francesco, was no exception and quickly bought over the Prosecco wishing us both a happy birthday as it was after WOTVM's and before Mr Vegan Man's birthday.

As it was a celebration we decided to go for the full 3 courses. We both went for antipasti planks for our starters, one meaty, one veggie of course. WOTVM's meat plank was very good indeed, a great selection of Italian meats and cheeses with a fresh slaw and accompanying olives and caper berry. The highlight was the creamy buffalo mozzarella.

Mr Vegan Man's veggie plank came with a good selection of roasted veg antipasti along with some cheesy additions which he coped with as they were quite mild and not melty. A thumbs up all round!

It was at this point we were also brought our free taster which was Italian Nachos - crispy fried cheesy ravioli in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. We got stuck into this, forgetting to take a photo, but can confirm it was tasty, a comforting mix of a classic cheese and tomato combo.

Our mains arrived soon after, WOTVM had gone for a dish she's had before, fresh crab spaghetti. Crab isn't something she gets to have at home very much so this was a real treat. The pasta was cooked perfectly and was tossed in a fresh, lemony sauce which went perfectly with the sweet crab. The addition of some fresh chilli, herbs and pepper made it even more delicious.

Mr Vegan Man went for Ravioli Genovese - green pasta enclosing a primavera filling and served with lovage pesto, hazelnuts and pine nuts.  The pasta was lovely and thin, not too heavy, and cooked right on point.  The filling was fresh and tasty and the pesto added a nice zing, with the nuts adding a bit of extra crunch and flavour to the dish.  The portion size was generous and although the quantity of veggies meant that the dish was not overly heavy, it managed to have a nice richness that made it feel special.  The presentation was stunning too, it looked a real picture.

We were pretty stuffed by this point when the waiter informed WOTVM that she was also entitled to a free chocolate brownie for pudding as part of her birthday treat. Feeling as full as she was she asked if she could perhaps have some ice cream instead - the waiter didn't think we could, be when he returned said he had checked and on this occasion she was in luck (she didn't mention she had done the same dessert swap on her birthday last year). Good ice cream is one of WOTVM's absolute favourite things to eat so when three delicious scoops (2 salted caramel, 1 chocolate) came out smothered in butterscotch sauce she was in her element. Full or not, the pudding stood no chance! 

Mr Vegan Man, in a show of birthday solidarity, also went for ice cream but replaced one scoop of salted caramel with a scoop of vanilla and some crushed honeycomb on top.  It was delightful, the ice cream was smooth and full of flavour.  The perfect way to end a meal.

The bill came in at a shade under £45, which was a cracking bargain considering we'd had three courses, a taster, and a whole bottle of Prosecco.  If nothing else this highlights the great value you get from being a Gold Club member, particularly during birthday month.  Our service was excellent, Francesco was enthusiastic and attentive and did his best to make us feel special.

You can visit Jamie's Italian website here to have a look at their menu, find your local branch and become a Gold Club member.  Enjoy!

Pasta with artichoke, green beans, lemon and spinach

This vegan recipe is loosely based on one WOTVM found in a magazine when she first started dating Mr Vegan Man. Being an avid cook, WOTVM was eager to impress Mr Vegan Man with one of her favourite homemade recipes, only to find out that he didn't eat meat, and doesn't like cheese. Then she came across this vegan pasta dish and took a gamble on it... fortunately it turned out great and we have been making and adapting it ever since, and so it has reached its current incarnation. The fresh green veg and lemon make it a lovely light dish for lunch or dinner on a warm day and it is beautiful with a crisp, cold glass of white wine.

Ingredients (serves 2)

200g pasta (linguine or spaghetti work well)
100g marinated artichoke hearts (either from the deli or from a jar), drained.
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Handful of basil leaves
Handful of baby spinach leaves
Handful of fine green beans, chopped into bite size pieces
Toasted pine nuts and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish
Pea shoots to garnish (optional)

The beauty of this tasty dish is that it can be assembled in the time it takes to cook the pasta (unless you are using fresh pasta)! So, the first thing to do is bring some water to the boil and then cook your chosen pasta according to the instructions on the pack. When your pasta has about 4 minutes left to go, chuck your chopped green beans in with the pasta to cook as well.

In the meantime, you can prepare the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl. Slice your artichoke hearts into quarters, add in the crushed garlic, basil leaves and spinach. Then simply squeeze in the fresh lemon juice and zest and give a stir to combine.

Toast your pine nuts in a dry frying pan, taking care not to burn them as they take on a golden colour quite quickly.

When your pasta is cooked (preferably al dente, but however you prefer it), drain, but make sure you reserve 2 tbsp. of the cooking liquid in the pan. Add the ingredients you have prepared in the bowl to the pasta pan along with the cooked pasta and beans, toss thoroughly and then put the lid on the pan for about a minute. The residual heat will wilt the spinach and allow the flavours to infuse.

Season well with freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste and serve simply in a bowl. To finish, drizzle with olive oil, scatter over a few toasted pine nuts and add a few pea shoots to garnish if using.

It's hard to believe that a dish that can be prepared from scratch in around 15 minutes can be so enjoyable. We'd choose this over a ready meal any time, and with such a quick and easy recipe, there's no excuse not to really! Enjoy!