Spring Risotto, with Peas, Basil, Lemon and Asparagus

 

Recently, my husband and I caught COVID-19 again! We didn't even realize we had it, until a cousin mentioned that she and her entire family had caught COVID. Having some old tests in the apartment, we took them out and sure enough my husband tested positive. I had been wondering why I had nausea, headaches and fatigue for the past week so suspect I had it earlier than him despite testing negative. His symptoms were more traditional, with lots of congestion. Anyways, in order to try to nourish our way out of illness, I decided to make a risotto with lots of fresh, spring produce. It was a warm day and neither of us were quite feeling like soup.

I've been making risotto since I was in my early twenties, and often go with a mushroom risotto. I've also had in past a delicious tomato, fig and goat cheese risotto at a restaurant that I've tried to mimic with varying degrees of success. Perhaps, I'll make that for an upcoming post. Last night, I decided to make a risotto that included lots of garlic, onion, lemon, basil, peas and asparagus as I was hoping to draw on some of the healing properties of these ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Onion, finely diced
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Cups Arborio Rice (Tip: Do not rinse as you would other rice types)
• 3/4 Cup Dry White Wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
• 2L of Vegetable Broth (homemade is ideal, but you can use store-bought)
• 1 Cup of Peas
• 1 Cup of Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Bunch Asparagus, roasted and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4-5 Sprigs of Basil, leaves only, chiffonade
• 1 Organic Lemon, Zest and Juice (Tip: Use organic whenever cooking with citrus zest to avoid waxes and fungicides)
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare all your ingredients in advance, including tossing the asparagus in 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus salt and pepper, and roasting at 425F for 12 minutes.
2. Add the olive oil to a large wok or saucepan that has been heated to medium, and add onion, plus a bit of salt so it sweats rather than turns brown. (Tip: Onion should sizzle when added if oil is adequately heated. You can place one piece onion in the oil and will know when it starts to sizzle you can add the rest).
3. Once the onion is becoming translucent, add the garlic and move around until it becomes fragrant (about one minute).
4. Add the rice, and stir around. Cook until you can smell toasted rice, and then remove from heat and add the wine. Pour wine away from you to avoid splashes and burns. Cook until wine evaporates.
5. Begin ladling in broth a few ladles at a time, so that rice is just covered but can be seen under the liquid (see top-centre photo). Continue to do this for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Add the frozen peas and cook for another five minutes.
7. Remove from heat, the rice should have the consistency of lava (or a slow flow).
8. Add in parmesan cheese and let it melt, and then stir in the basil, asparagus, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper, to taste.
9. Serve on plates, leveled out so it cools.

The Cold-Fighting Properties of Garlic and Lemon

Garlic is believed to have antiviral properties, and some studies that used garlic supplements (rather than fresh garlic cloves) found that it could shorten the number of days of illness (Preventing the Common Cold with a Garlic Supplement). Further, fruits and vegetables, particularly those high in Vitamin C - like lemons - may reduce the length and severity of colds but the evidence is mixed (Vitamin C May Speed Up Recovery from Colds). Citrus fruits are also high in flavonoids, which are an antioxidant, that has been shown to reduce the number of days of a cold. So I added a lot of garlic and lemon to this recipe to support our immune systems. The Heart and Stroke Foundation lists both of these foods, among others, as Foods to Eat During a Cold.

Photo: Spring Risotto. Taken by me.