I made a really tasty vegetarian dish with Israeli Couscous on Saturday and thought I would share. (Israeli couscous is the larger kind, not the usual tiny grains.) Turns out it is really easy to make risotto-style.
I had found some great fresh sweet peas, asparagus and wild mushrooms and decided to do a spring veg thing. Filled a pot with 5-6 cups of warm water and soaked a handful of dried porcini to make a quick mushroom stock. (You can soak the shrooms in chicken stock, or if you don't have porcini, skip it and use any stock.) While soaking I chopped an onion, shallot, and some garlic, shucked the peas, and prepped the asparagus and mushrooms. Then I rinsed and chopped the porcini, heated the 'shroom juice, and in another pan sweated the onions, shallots, and garlic in olive oil. Tossed in the porcini for a bit, then the fresh mushrooms. Then I poured in a about a cup and a half of the couscous and stirred it around for a minute or so, then half a glass of white wine and cooked it down to almost nothing. Then I added three or four cups of the stock, brought to a boil, then turned it down and let it simmer. About 8 minutes later the stock was gone and the couscous was almost ready. I added a little more stock, then the asparagus, and about a minute later turned off the heat and covered. After a couple minutes I tossed in the fresh peas, some fresh chopped basil, and a handful of good parm. Garnished with a little more basil and parm and...damn it was tasty!! Very earthy with the 'shrooms, similar depth of flavor as a good risotto but not as heavy.
I had found some great fresh sweet peas, asparagus and wild mushrooms and decided to do a spring veg thing. Filled a pot with 5-6 cups of warm water and soaked a handful of dried porcini to make a quick mushroom stock. (You can soak the shrooms in chicken stock, or if you don't have porcini, skip it and use any stock.) While soaking I chopped an onion, shallot, and some garlic, shucked the peas, and prepped the asparagus and mushrooms. Then I rinsed and chopped the porcini, heated the 'shroom juice, and in another pan sweated the onions, shallots, and garlic in olive oil. Tossed in the porcini for a bit, then the fresh mushrooms. Then I poured in a about a cup and a half of the couscous and stirred it around for a minute or so, then half a glass of white wine and cooked it down to almost nothing. Then I added three or four cups of the stock, brought to a boil, then turned it down and let it simmer. About 8 minutes later the stock was gone and the couscous was almost ready. I added a little more stock, then the asparagus, and about a minute later turned off the heat and covered. After a couple minutes I tossed in the fresh peas, some fresh chopped basil, and a handful of good parm. Garnished with a little more basil and parm and...damn it was tasty!! Very earthy with the 'shrooms, similar depth of flavor as a good risotto but not as heavy.