Naked & Wild Rice Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes

As we have been experimenting with using whole Naked Oat groats in rice form, we have found that risottos work particularly well.  The method of roasting the rice with onions and butter before adding liquid brings out an amazing nutty flavour, and adding vegetables makes for a nice one-pot meal, or a side dish if you’re planning somewhat of a fancier affair.

  

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Naked & Wild Rice Blend

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken both work well)

1 cup water

1/3 cup (loosely packed) sundried tomatoes, chopped

parsley – 2 tsp dried, or a handful if it’s fresh

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Combine the stock and water in a pot and bring to a boil.  It needs to be kept hot until it is added to the rice.

Sautee the onions and garlic with the butter over medium heat.

When the onions are soft, add the Naked & Wild Rice Blend and continue to sautee for several minutes, until some of the oat ‘rice’ begins to turn brown and they acquire a toasted aroma.

Stir in the tomatoes.

Add the wine and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed by the rice.

Now start adding the hot stock.  Most recipes recommend adding just one ladle at a time.  I rushed this a bit by stirring in half a cup at a time and it seemed to work fine, but i’m no expert on the whole risotto thing.  Apparently it’s important to allow the stock to be mainly absorbed by the rice before adding the next amount, never letting the stock entirely dry up, but getting close each time.  Again, others might have improvements on this technique, but even my half-diligent method seemed to work out fine 🙂

Continue adding stock until the rice is tender.  Depending on your stovetop temperature you may need to adjust the liquid somewhat – adding more boiling water or stock.  Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the parmesan and parsley, leaving some extra for garnish on the top.  This would make a great side dish to serve with meat, but we enjoyed it on it’s own for lunch as well.