Spring Risotto

Fava beans must be shelled twice. First they're removed from their pods, then blanched, cooled slightly, and pinched to remove the outer skins. Fresh beans taste the best, but canned fava beans will also work when fresh are out of season. Look for sun-dried tomato paste with the other tomato products in the supermarket.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup risotto and 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients

• 6  cups  boiling water, divided
• 1  cup  dried morels
• 2  pounds  unshelled fava beans
• 5  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 2  cups  thinly sliced leek (about 3 large)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  cups  Arborio rice
• 2  tablespoons  sun-dried tomato paste
• 1  cup  dry white wine
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3  cup  sliced green onions
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) finely grated fresh Romano cheese

Preparation

Combine 3 cups of boiling water and morels in a bowl; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms; rinse with cold water. Drain and chop.

Remove beans from pods; discard pods. Place beans in a medium saucepan with remaining 3 cups boiling water; cook beans 1 minute. Rinse with cold water. Drain; remove outer skins from beans. Discard skins.

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep broth warm over low heat.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until leek is tender. Add rice and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook about 2 1/2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in morels and beans; cook for 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Stir in green onions. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

238 (22% from fat)

Fat:

5.9g (sat 2.2g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:

9.9g

Carbohydrate:

29.7g

Fiber:

1.6g

Cholesterol:

11mg

Iron:

2.6mg

Sodium:

648mg

Calcium:

135mg