Roasted Vegetable Risotto

After a long weekend of eating out I really look forward to a nice home cooked meal with a healthy amount of vegetables. This recipe is great as it has very simple ingredients that you most likely have on hand, yet involves many wonderful flavors and healthy elements to provide a great balanced meal. I am serving it as a side dish to a baked chicken breast so as a side dish I would say it could serve 6, and as a meal I would serve 4.

Roasted Vegetable Risotto: Serves 4-6

1C Arborio Rice
4-5C Chicken Stock
1TB Olive Oil
1 Small Zucchini - Sliced (Approx 2C)
1 Onion - Sliced (Approx 1C)
3 Carrots - Diced (Approx 1C)
1 Bell Pepper - Diced (Approx 1C)
1 Bay Leaf
Salt & Pepper

In a sauce pot heat the stock with the bay leaf until boiling, reduce to a simmer and keep on the stove while you make the rice. In a large saute pan heat 1tsp olive oil over medium heat and add the arborio rice to the pan. Toast the rice for a few minutes until lightly browned then add salt & pepper and chicken stock 3/4C of a time and reduce the heat to low so the mix is just simmering. Stir often allowing the stock to absorb into the rice, once the liquid is gone from the pan add another 3/4C and repeat until the rice is tender. Depending how fast the liquid is evaporating will determine how much stock you use, my rice absorbed 4C of stock before tender.

While the rice is doing its thing you can prepare the vegetables. In a mixing bowl place all the cut veggies and toss with the remaining 2tsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place on a greased cookie sheet and roast in a 400° oven for 20 minutes.

When you put the last scoop of stock in the rice add the roasted vegetables to the pan as well and finish cooking the risotto with the vegetables which will allow the roasted taste to permeate the rice as well.

Serve & Enjoy!

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings