Easy Vegan Chicken and Kale Risotto

Risotto has never been so easy or fast! Just a couple stirrings over 20 minutes in a dutch oven on the stovetop and you’re pretty much done. I love the addition of vegan grilled chicken strips and fresh garden kale for protein. Vegan cheese and butter, and nutritional yeast lend the exact creaminess of dairy-based risotto so you won’t be sacrificing anything at all, but I still keep this risotto healthy!

I think risotto may be the ultimate fall comfort food.

This could not be more delicious and it is essentially one pot, super quick (about 30 minutes), and Scout’s honor you only need to stir it twice. Seriously! Did I mention there’s only 2 tbsp of vegan butter? Healthy to boot!

As soon as I grab the camera, Oliver goes running around looking for his. Sometimes it’s in the study in the china cabinet, and sometimes it’s on his bookshelf. He’s never sure which at first and to see him slightly panicked, scurrying around, not wanting to miss out on the food photography is so cute. This time he literally couldn’t wait to sample the subject of our shoot. Taking bite after bite he exclaimed, “Yum! This is tasty!” Then proceeded to fill himself up, dropping much of the risotto off the fork accidentally, and ultimately didn’t end up sitting down to eat dinner at the table because he had already eaten. LOL. Such is life with a wee one.

In the photo down below you’ll see he’s wearing his Let It Snow shirt. We actually got snow nearby and should have some at our house in just a couple weeks I reckon! Bring on the skis and sleds. We can’t wait!

Were you wondering how we did keeping our grocery bill under $150 (in Alaska!!) for the month of September? Umm…. we freaking nailed it guys! We used up stuff we had in the kitchen along with buying really cheap eats: store-brand canned beans and frozen fruit and veg that was sale, and bulk lentils and oats, etc. I am ashamed to admit that almost half of that ($60) was literally Silk unsweetened soy milk. #lifewithatoddlertho #theboylovessoymilk #notsponsered #wishweweretho

Easy Vegan Chicken and Kale Risotto

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

Risotto has never been so easy or fast! Just a couple stirrings over 20 minutes in a dutch oven on the stovetop and you’re pretty much done. I love the addition of vegan grilled chicken strips and fresh garden kale for protein. Vegan cheese and butter, and nutritional yeast lend the exact creaminess of dairy-based risotto so you won’t be sacrificing anything at all, but I still keep this risotto healthy!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp table salt
• dash of white pepper (black pepper will do)
• 2 cups Arborio rice, dry
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups very hot vegetable broth
• 4-6 oz (about half of one 9 oz package) of vegan grilled chicken strips
• ½ cup shredded vegan mozzarella
• 1 cup of chopped fresh kale, tightly packed
• 1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper; saute an additional minute. Add the rice and cook about 3 minutes; stirring frequently, until the grains are translucent around their edges.
2. Stir in the wine and keep stirring until it’s all evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth; reduce to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring twice during cooking until the rice is al dente and most of the liquid is gone.
3. While the rice cooks, cook the vegan chicken according to package. Chop into bite size pieces on the bais when cool enough and set aside.
4. When the rice is done, stir in the cheese and once melted stir in the remaining ingredients including the vegan chicken. Add enough hot water or broth to get the desired consistency of the risotto before serving; salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:30
Total time: 00:35
Yield: 4-6 servings

Save Money!

I buy my arborito rice here, at less than half price. It’s only $0.16 per oz versus $0.34 per oz at our local grocery store!

I buy my nutritional yeast here. It’s only $9.55 per lb versus $13.99 per lb in the bulk bin (!) at our local grocery store!

I used to buy the store brand liquid vegetable broth in the carton but now I buy a German powdered broth here for seven times less!!

It’s only $0.10 per 1 cup versus almost $0.70 per 1 cup at our local grocery store.

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Chickpea Artichoke Rice with Lambsquarter Greens

This is a hearty brown rice dish featuring protein-rich chickpeas, tasty artichoke, savory herbs and spices, wild-foraged lambsquarter greens, and a dash of zingy fresh lemon. Hands-off and great for a weeknight meal, this is a healthy and delicious way to introduce picky eaters to brown rice and foraged greens (or spinach!)

Do you ever forage for wild plants? I really love to incorporate treasures from our backyard in our meals and each year I try to include more. We have an abundance in our woods that offer themselves at various times of the year. Highbush cranberries, red currants, horsetail, many wild edible flowers, bolete mushrooms, spruce tips, fiddlehead ferns, chickweed, wild raspberries, and lambsquarter. These are just a few; Alaska has so much to give!

I remember foraging lambsquarter with my grandmother and eating it. “Tastes like spinach!”, she used to say. And she was right, it does taste like a mild spinach. It’s very recognizable and has a white powdery substance that coats it. Anything you forage should be washed well and of course it’s vital to be absolutely 100% sure you know what you are picking.

If you’re not able to harvest any wild greens where you are, spinach will work just beautifully in this dish or feel free to just omit the greens completely if you prefer.

What kinds of things do you forage?

Chickpea Artichoke Rice with Lambsquarter Greens

By Kathleen Henry - Produce On Parade

This is a hearty brown rice dish featuring protein-rich chickpeas, tasty artichoke, savory herbs and spices, wild-foraged lambsquarter greens, and a dash of zingy fresh lemon. Hands-off and great for a weeknight meal, this is a healthy and delicious way to introduce picky eaters to brown rice and foraged greens (or spinach!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp (thereabouts) vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, diced small
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp seasoning or table salt
• dash of white pepper
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1 15 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 cup unpacked foraged lambsquarters leaves or spinach
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ lemon, zested and juiced

Instructions

1. Add the dry rice to a rice cooker. Drain the diced tomatoes, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup; add in enough vegetable broth to equal 2 ¼ cups of total liquid (for me this was about 2 cups and 2 tbsp of broth). Add to dry rice, and cook according to your rice cooker. Brown rice takes about 1 hour to cook.
2. While the rice cooks, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large rimmed frying pan. Add the onion and garlic, sauteing for about 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent. Stir in the spices, herbs, salt and pepper; cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the chickpeas and artichokes; simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cover; allow to rest until rice is cooked.
4. Wash the greens well. When the rice is done cooking add the greens to the pan and stir until wilted. Add in the rice, parsley, and lemon juice and zest; stir well to combine.
5. Serve hot and topped with additional parsley and lemon zest if you like.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 4

Vegan Asian Meatballs

We used to make these all the time when I was a kid. I’m now thrilled to be able to eat them once again, but without harming animals! A sweet and salty sauce smothers delicious onion and mushroom ‘meatballs’ that everyone will absolutely love. My recipe was adapted slightly from msvegan.com.

Meatballs are one of those foods that I really enjoy, but am too lazy to ever make... or even buy. I'd rather have my spaghetti without than go through the motions of adding meatballs (I need to take a closer look at my life). Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me? 

This week I had a huge craving for meatballs. It was unrelenting and I began to reminisce on the times my parents used to make delicious Asian meatballs that we'd take to parties, steaming, in a piping hot crock pot. They were always the most scrumptious food at the party and I'd sneakily eat my weight in them and nothing else, until I made my way to the dessert table where no brownie or cookie was safe. Of course, now, I am obliged to make them vegan and cruelty-free, and guess what? They taste even better than I remember.

I have implemented limits on dessert now as well. #adulting

Vegan Asian Meatballs

Recipe by Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

We used to make these all the time when I was a kid. I’m now thrilled to be able to eat them once again, but without harming animals! A sweet and salty sauce smothers delicious onion and mushroom ‘meatballs’ that everyone will absolutely love. My recipe was adapted slightly from msvegan.com.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Scant 1/2 cup vegan white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp chili garlic paste
• ½ tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups finely chopped cremini or white mushrooms
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs (I use panko)
• 3 tbsp sauce just made
• 1 14 oz tube of uncooked Gimme Lean Lightlife Sausage
• 1 prepared Ener-G Egg Replacer (or 1 tbsp of ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp water)

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan, whisk ½ cup water through the liquid smoke over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and whisk in the cornstarch that’s been mixed with 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
2. Dry-saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in a large skillet for about 8 minutes; until the onions are tender and the mushrooms have darkened and shrunk. Stir in the sesame seed oil and remove from heat.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, using your hands, combine the breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp of asian sauce, sausage, and vegan egg until well combined. Mix in the slightly cooled mushroom mixture.
4. Form into 10 two inch meatballs an arrange in the baking dish. Drizzle half of the sauce over them and roll them in the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Flip the meatballs and again drizzle half of the sauce over them and roll them in the sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve hot and with whatever you like; saving the sauce from the baking dish to use over rice or vegetables. We ate them with broccoli and brown rice, or serve as a side or appetizer!