I love risotto. I love lentils and I love porcini mushrooms. They all came together last night in our dinner, and everyone, including the anti-mushroom crew, loved it. You may wonder how I got children to eat Lentil-Porcini Risotto? Well, first, I never used the word mushroom. I just said “porcini” and they thought I was saying something very sophisticated and Italian and so it must be good. Yes, I have raised them to appreciate all things Italian….but I knew mushrooms would be hard to sell in this traditional Italian dish. So, here it is and just keep in mind, if you have children, chop the porcinis finely and they blend right in.
Lentil-Porcini Risotto: gluten-free, dairy-free optional
Ingredients
1 cup French Puy lentils
.5 ounces (14 g) dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups gluten-free vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
¼ cup dry red wine
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan, optional
Place lentils in small pot with water to cover. Boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender. In another small pan, heat vegetable stock. Place dried porcini mushrooms in a heatproof small bowl. Pour ½ cup boiling water over them and let them stand for about 10 minutes.
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil and add chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 6 minutes. Add rice and stir over low heat until all rice grains have been coated with oil. Add one cup hot vegetable stock, folding gently so grains will not break. Simmer for about 6 minutes.
Drain cooked lentils. Add lentils to rice mixture. Pour liquid from mushrooms into rice over a small sieve. Place softened porcinis on cutting board and finely chop. Place in bowl and set aside.
Continue adding stock to rice, one cup at a time, and gently stirring it into the rice as it cooks over low heat, until all liquid is absorbed. Add wine, chopped porcini mushrooms and salt. Gently stir until liquid is absorbed. Fold in grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Tags: gluten-free rice dishes, gluten-free risotto, porcini mushrooms, risotto
