During cold winter months, when the wind is whistling outside on a dark night, it’s so comforting to have a hearty, healthy and grounding meal to whip up. Risotto is one of those dishes that can largely be made from staple pantry ingredients when you use rice, but have you ever tried it with freekeh?
What is freekeh, you may even be asking?
In short, freekeh is young, green wheat. It’s an ancient grain that has been a staple in the Middle East for centuries. It has a delicious nutty and slightly smokey flavor, and unusual chewy texture. And it’s as easy to cook as rice. I put it into my Instant Pot and it was ready in 15 minutes! It’s also higher in protein than quinoa. If you’re gluten free, this might not be the grain for you, since it is a wheat product.
For this recipe, if you have trouble finding trumpet mushrooms, don’t fret! You can simply substitute and mushrooms you have on hand.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 leeks, washed & sliced up to the green part of the leek
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup white wine
- water as needed
- 2 cups cooked freekeh*
- 1 cup cashew milk**
- ½ cup vegetable stock*** (+ more as needed. You can also use store-bought vegetable stock if desired or just plain water.)
- 1 pinch dried thyme
- 4 trumpet mushrooms, sliced lengthwise and roasted****
- 1 small bunch living watercress (optional)
- 1 cup cracked freekeh
- 2 cups water
- pinch salt
- 1 cup cashews (soaked)
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 quart water
- 4 trumpet mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet.
- Add the sliced leek and garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes on low heat.
- Add the white wine and sauté over low heat until the wine has cooked off. Add a little water and cover and cook for 5 more minutes until the leeks are very soft.
- Add the cooked freekeh, cashew milk and vegetable tock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the dried thyme and cook until the risotto thickens and is creamy.
- To serve, portion the risotto into 2 bowls and garnish with roasted mushrooms and watercress, Add a little warm stock to the bowl around the risotto.
- Put the water, freekeh and salt in a saucepan and cooke covered for 20-30 minutes, covered until all the water is absorbed and the freekeh is health. You can also cook this in a pressure cooker or rice cooker in the same manner as rice.
- Blend the cashew milk ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. No need to filter.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.
- Add the red onion, mushrooms, garlic, and celery and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Add the quart of water and bring to a boil.
- Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
- Toss the trumpet mushrooms in the olive oil and place them on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
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