Spring Risotto

I can't even remember the last time I made risotto. It used to be the thing when I was in high school. For some reason I remember making a lot of risottos in my mom's kitchen. Maybe because it's not hard to make, but it's so labor intensive it makes you feel like you accomplished something pretty grown-up? I'm not sure. Either way, I'm really glad I gave this risotto from this month's Cooking Light a try. It tastes way more unhealthy than it is -- always a good thing. Plus, I'm pretty sure I burned like 400 calories just from all the stirring. That's possible, right?

Spring Risotto
From Cooking Light

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (2 teaspoons if using a non-stick pan)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add asparagus, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain. Bring 2 cups water and broth to a simmer in the same saucepan.

Meanwhile, heat another large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, and swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in rice, edamame, and salt; cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup broth mixture; cook for 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding more (about 20-25 minutes total).

Stir in asparagus, cream cheese, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Spoon risotto into 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly with thyme.

Paella with Soy Chorizo and Edamame

Dude, have you guys been to Trader Joe's lately? I used to go when I lived in Cambridge, but since I moved down to DC in late 2009 I hadn't bothered to figure out where the closest one was -- until this past weekend. Holy crap, I forgot how much I loved that place. Things I came home with include, but are not limited to:

1. Two kiwis
2. A package of pre-trimmed leeks
3. A bag of individually packaged 1-ounce goat cheese rounds
4. Four bottles of wine costing $5 or less (including one blanc de blancs, ooh la la!)
5. Peanut butter stuffed pretzel bites
6. Arugula and parmigiano-reggiano ravioli
7. Cherry-berry frozen fruit blend (for smoothies)
8. Frozen verde chicken burritos (for Joe, obvs)
9. Bully sticks (for the dog, obvs)

But one of the coolest things I found was actually a package of soy chorizo! And I knew that I had a recipe at home that called for it -- a paella recipe from this month's Cooking Light (which, by the way, contains more great veg recipes than the past 6 issues combined). Turns out that soy chorizo is super awesome. It has all the flavor of real chorizo but with half the calories and fat. Try it!

Paella with Soy Chorizo and Edamame
From Cooking Light

• 6 ounces meatless soy chorizo (such as Soyrizo or Trader Joe's brand)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup Valencia or other medium-grain white rice
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add soy chorizo to pan, and cook for 12 minutes or until browned, crumbling and stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Return pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, swirling to coat. Add yellow onion; cover and cook for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add saffron and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice and bell pepper; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in white wine, and cook for 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Add vegetable broth and salt; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Return soy chorizo to pan, and stir in edamame. Cook for 5 minutes or until edamame is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and scallions.