Portuguese Vegetarian Risotto Recipe

 

By: Isabel Robson

Serves: 4
Preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
1 Table spoon chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 Table spoon Peri Peri sauce
1 Table spoon chopped dates
1 Table spoon pitted green olives
1 Table spoon peanut oil
4 Small florets Broccoli
4 Small florets Cauliflower
2 Garlic cloves chopped
200g Risotto rice
1 Small onion chopped
1/2 Cup sliced carrots
1/2 Cup sweet corn loose
1/2 Cup green garden peas
5 Cherry tomatoes chopped
Ground red pepper
Sea salt

• Prepare all ingredients in advance as above indicated to make this recipe easier to prepare.  Simple but delicious.
  
• Stir fry rice, chopped tomatoes and sweet pepper with oil in deep pan on high heat for about 30 seconds.
• Add remaining ingredients and 1 litre of hot water.  
• Cook rice on medium heat.  Season with sea salt and red pepper.
  
• Allow to simmer for 6 minutes or until rice is almost cooked.
• Stir occasionally but gently.  Do not allow to dry to much.  Add 1/2 cup of hot water if necessary.
• Take off the heat and cover with lid for 5 minutes to allow steam to finish cooking the rice.
• Remaining liquid will quickly be absorbed by the rice.
• Serve hot.
  

Dates are not only for breakfast cereal, they are great with savoury dishes.  These can be a great alternative to using brown sugar as a sweetener.

I have used the sweetness of dates to help balance the heat of Peri Peri sauce.