Meatless Monday with David Rocco’s Zia Orsola’s Spinach Risotto

Including Meatless Monday into CSR business strategies encourages healthy habits in employees that benefit the planet

Hello and welcome (back) to the Miratel blog for another Meatless Monday. We took the Meatless Monday pledge as part of our CSR business initiatives in support of reducing meat consumption one day per week (15%) to improve the health of people and the planet. Every Monday we feature a new vegetarian recipe and try to keep them simple so they can be made on a busy Monday night.

Today we’re bringing you a recipe and awareness to another worthy cause with our chef choice. The Food Network’s Iron Chef Bobby Flay is hosting Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital’s Chef’s Challenge: The Ultimate Battle for a Cure with Bobby Flay to help find a cure for breast cancer.  There are a host of Food Network Canada chefs participating in the event being held on November 26-27, 2011. One of the chef’s involved is David Rocco host of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita, and today we are making his Zia Orsola’s Spinach Risotto.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 400 grams Arborio rice (0.8lb)
• 1 bunch of spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 150 grams soft ricotta cheese (5.3oz)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30ml)
• Freshly grated Grana Padano cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Salt to season

Spinach Risotto image courtesy of finecooking.com

Directions

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a pot and add Arborio rice (as per the package directions). Stir constantly for the first minute to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.
2. In another pot, add spinach along with 1/4 cup of water and cook for a few minutes. Once spinach has softened, remove from heat and purée using a food processor.
3. Cook rice for approximately 12 minutes or before the rice gets to the al dente stage. Pour most of the water out of the pot, leaving a small amount of water behind with the rice. Add puréed spinach to the rice.
4. Stir soft ricotta, grana padano cheese and butter into the rice. Salt to season.
5. Turn off heat and cook for another minute or so. At this point, the rice should have a creamy consistency.
6. Plate and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

This spinach risotto is a fast version of the traditional which is much more time and labour intensive. In fact, this risotto is perfect to make any night of the week because it comes together so quickly; however it is elegant enough to make when company is coming. Though this dish has spinach in it, the creamy and cheesy risotto will win over even the fussiest of palates. Serve with a raw green salad lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon.

We encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday website and join us in taking the pledge to reduce meat consumption one day per week. It’s easy with simple and delicious recipes like this one. Spread the word at work to promote the value of CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop, restaurant, hotel or salon even greener.

Buon Appetito!

________________________________________________________________________________________
For nonprofit, CSR business, digital and other news,please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.