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Summer: Fava Bean, Spinach, and Mushroom Risotto

Serve with Veggie Balls (page 16)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh fava beans
One 9-ounce bag baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces wild or white button mushrooms, wiped clean and roughly chopped
Pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To shuck the fava beans, bring a medium pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a small bowl with ice water.

    Step 2

    When the water is boiling, add the fava beans and cook for 90 seconds. Immediately remove the beans with a strainer and place them in the cold water until cool, about 2 minutes. Keep the pan of water at a boil. Drain the beans, then peel off the tough outer skins; set aside. Add the spinach to the boiling water, and cook for 1 minute. Strain the spinach and beans and cool under cold running water. Set aside.

    Step 3

    Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove them from the heat and set aside.

    Step 4

    Add the cooked beans, spinach, and mushrooms to the risotto when you add the butter and Parmesan.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.
TagsFava BeanBean and LegumeVegetableSpinachLeafy GreensMushroomSideDinnerNut FreeDairy FreeVegetarianVeganGluten Free5 Ingredients or FewerEasyWeeknight MealsQuickSummerCookbooks
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