Herbed Arborio Rice, Limed Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts

I came up with a dish that my wife and I loved! I was going to make a quick and simple dish with Brussels sprouts, and was looking for a grain accompaniment. I decided to use arborio rice, but didn't want to take the time to make risotto. So I tried this.

In a saucepan with a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat, I sauteed a medium shallot that I had diced into small 1/4" squares. After just a minute or so, I added some arborio rice and stir fried it for about 2 minutes till most of the kernels had significant clear areas. Then I added water to equal 2 1/2 times the volume of rice, a cube of vegan bouillon, a cube of frozen basil (1 teaspoon fresh), and some chopped oregano and basil from my garden. I brought to a boil then simmered, covered, for about 20 minutes. By then, the liquid was absorbed and the grains looked nicely plump and moist. I mixed in 3 diced slices of sundried tomatoes and served, with some vegan Parm! "Parmesan cheese" on top.

I started with the Brussels sprouts and decided to use the Brussels sprouts and beets preparation that I came up with exactly two months ago as a model. This time, in a cast iron pan with a little olive oil, I started browning halved (larger ones I actually cut into thirds) Brussels sprouts for a few minutes, then added large chunks of marinated garlic (maybe 3 cloves). I had saved one steamed golden beet from Monday; I made 1/2" cubes and added them a few minutes later, along with some chopped rosemary needles. I continued to cook for a few more minutes, then transferred everything to a large bowl. I mixed in a few tablespoons of Baja Lime marinade, prepared fried onion pieces, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a few small halved green olives.

Both dishes were good. The arborio rice was not as creamy as risotto, but almost as tasty! This was a good discovery - when one doesn't have time to patiently stir, this is a nice, easy alternative to making risotto! I'll have to add the description to my self-published cookbook.