Vegan Month of Food: Vegan Cheesy Mushroom Risotto

I know I've been writing alot about Daiya vegan cheese lately, but I had to share this delicious creation with you, too. In case you needed further proof that Daiya is awesome.

So boyfriend and I, like most of the country, are trying to cut back and save some money. This means more "pantry meals," and fewer extravagant vegan feasts. Luckily, by adding a few fresh ingredients to the inexpensive pantry stuff, I've learned to cook up some pretty tasty grub. This week, we decided to use up some of the Aborio rice by making a risotto. I made it special by adding fresh mushrooms, fresh arugula, and some Daiya that had been sitting in the fridge. It made a delicious, gooey, and warm dish that filled our tummies to capacity. So good!


So here's what I did.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp chopped onion
1/4 cup Earth Balance
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 white wine
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup Daiya
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cups fresh arugula (optional)

Start by melting your Earth Balance in a large pan over medium heat. Once it's melted, add your onion, garlic, mushrooms, and rice. Continue heating and stir frequently for about two minutes, and be sure everything has been coated with the Earth Balance. Deglaze the pan with the wine and use your spoon to scrape up the good bits at the bottom of the pan.

With the lid off, add the vegetable broth and the soy milk, and mix well. Allow the mixture to simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid has completely absorbed, about 25-30 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, and stir it often. Once the liquid has absorbed, stir in the Daiya, and add salt and pepper to taste. Daiya is pretty salty, so be sure to season after adding it. Better safe than sorry! Remove from heat. Finally, gently stir in the arugula until it has slightly wilted. Serve and enjoy!

If you ask me the arugula brings a really interesting flavor and bite to the dish that's really tasty. Granted, it's sort of unheard of to wilt greens into a risotto, but whatever. I'm living dangerously.

So, this may not be the epitome of a "pantry meal" in everyone's mind, but it is for me. I pretty much always have these ingredients on hand because they're versatile and are great to turn to when you want to whip up a good meal on the fly. This dish turned out to be a lot of fun, super satisfying, and very delicious. And best of all, it was easy on my wallet! Perfect for a chilly day during a recession!

Enjoy!