Crispy tenders, asparagus risotto (and hummus)

Before going into any meal info, I have to recap. I started Trying Veggie on Monday and I have to say I might just continue veggie... one night during these past few days I reheated ziti that had a meat sauce--but it was chunky meat (like mini meatballs), so I easily ate the pasta and discarded the meat. Certainly not 100% vegetarian, but my point is that perhaps it's easier to avoid the meat than I originally thought it would be.

Onto the focus of the post, the meal for which this entry is titled. 
So, this meal was the first one I let a veggie product--Gardein's seven grain crispy tenders--play the main role without any input from me. I thought I would make a sauce or use the chicken in something else (like a burrito or sandwich) when I first bought the bag, but it was so good on its own, that we just ate it as is with the other fun sides. It could easily be used that way or atop a big salad, but it definitely stands its own ground.


Asparagus risotto
Ingredients:

• ~1/2 an onion finely diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil and/or butter (I usually use 1 tbsp each)
• 1 1/2 cups risotto (arborio rice)
• ~3.5 cups veggie broth (or water and a little salt)
• ~1 bunch of asparagus cut into ~1.5" pieces
• grated parmesan or asiago cheese for serving 

Preparation:
I cook risotto in my rice cooker--so this method will apply to using this great tool. If you don't have one, you can absolutely still make risotto--but I don't have the expertise to tell you how to do it. Leave me a comment if you can share your on-the-stovetop method and maybe I'll edit this post (giving you credit of course!)

Power up your rice cooker and add the oil and/or butter. Once hot/melted, add the onion and saute in the rice cooker bowl until a bit tender and translucent (just a couple of minutes). 

Add the risotto to the oil/butter and mix (careful if you have a non-stick bowl!) to coat the grains and toast them up a bit. Shortly after doing this you will notice the outer part of the grain turns translucent--only the inner part remains white. I wait a bit longer after this occurs, then shut off the rice cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese, mix and start the rice cooker--mine has a porridge setting that works well for this, but you can use "regular" if you don't have that program. (You can mix several times throughout the cooking process to help get the good creaminess you expect out of a good risotto.) 

My porridge cycle lasts about 45 minutes, but I like the consistency better if I pull it somewhere between 35-40 minutes. If you would rather not bother with mixing and tasting throughout the process, you can set a timer for 40 minutes. Do a quick taste and so long as it's cooked enough for your liking, you're set.  
 
Serve with parmesan for a good salty cheese flavor, or asiago for a sweeter, nuttier taste (or your favorite.)  Enjoy! 

What about that other bowl on the table, next to those fresh veggies (from my Mom's garden!)?
That's the hummus I make. I'll be sure to share that recipe too (I've been working on perfecting it, and got it just right this time)--but not today.
Stay tuned.