Mushroom, Leek and Cashew Risotto

I was up north recently and my sister made this risotto for the entire family. It's a real mix, the family that is, and although we are certainly not hard to please, most include meat and dairy in their daily diet. 

But this dish was loved by all. 

Now... my sister... she rarely follows a recipe. She's a brilliant cook and often uses recipes more as a guide than anything else. So instead of veggie broth, she used mushroom, she excluded the wine and made a few other changes. Since then, I've made it exactly how it reads and my conclusion is you can't go wrong with this recipe. If you use the same basic ingredients and follow the instructions, you'll be a happy vegan.

The recipe comes from the cookbook, Seasonal Harvest Recipes. My understanding is that this is not a vegan cookbook. However, it was written to inspire us all to plant a garden or search out fresh local vegetables, so there must be a lot of vegetable recipes in it.

The book is the result of an organization named Grow Benzie, in Benzie County, Michigan. The group defines itself as a farmstead where people can a cultivate a piece of land in a community garden or take classes on growing and cooking food. I think you'll enjoy this one...

Mushroom, Leek and Cashew Risotto

1 1/2 C brown rice

3 3/4 C vegetable stock or a mixture of stock and dry white wine in the ratio of 5:1

1 T      walnut of hazelnut oil

2         leeks, sliced

2 C      mixed wild mushrooms (such as morels), trimmed and sliced

1/2 C   cashew nuts

grated rind of 1 lemon

2 T      fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 C   pumpkin seeds

salt and ground black pepper

fresh thyme leaves and lemon wedges for garnish

Place the brown rice in a large saucepan, pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently for about 30 minutes, until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice grains are tender. About 6 minutes before the rice is cooked, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the leeks and mushrooms and fry over a gentle heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cashews, lemon rind and chopped thyme to the leeks and mushrooms, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess stock from the cooked rice and stir in the mushroom-leek mixture. Turn into a serving dish. Scatter pumpkin seeds over the top and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.