I’m currently auditioning meals for my birthday dinner. It’s my birthday, and I’ll eat no meat if I want to. Truthfully, I couldn’t care less about meat most of the time. Sure, I get a craving for chicken two or three times a month, and I eat it. I also cook beef once a month. We generally get greasy hamburgers out somewhere once a month, too. Except I haven’t found a decent replacement for In n Out. If one more person tells me that Five Guys is good, I’m going full-blown vegan. It’s not. Moving on.
Artichokes are my one true love in life. The first time I saw an artichoke field in Castroville, I was on my way to work in Salinas. I grew lettuce and celery for USDA field trials out there. I purposefully took the long way to work so I could stare at mounds of frilly artichoke plants with a single thick stalk projecting straight up into the sky. It’s magical, I don’t care who you are. And if that’s not cool enough for you, just know that Marilyn Monroe got her start as the Artichoke Queen at the Castroville Artichoke festival. Now we’re on the same page, aren’t we?
My best friend that I’m always talking about (Esther) taught me how to steam a whole artichoke and dip each leaf in a mustard-butter sauce before scraping the meat off with your teeth. That with a half bottle of Sauv Blanc was my dinner frequently in grad school. Save money on food, spend it on the wine. Hah.
I had a very memorable grilled artichoke on the vegetable platter at Rutherford Grill in Napa. Say what you will about RG, the vegetable plate is still the best thing my Mom and I have ever ordered at a restaurant. In the history of ever.
The smoked paprika mayo dip is so good, that when I get home from the store with a new jar of mayonnaise, I use the entire jar to make the smoked paprika mayo, and then scoop it right back in the same jar for storing. It’s what mayonnaise is meant to be, in my book.
The brown butter risotto is because everyone keeps talking about brown butter. I mean, I love butter, but would I taste the difference in browned butter? Yes, yes, and oh gosh yes. It’s awesome. I poured it all on a big pile of starch, because the beautiful thing about not eating meat is the excuse to eat more carbs. Amen.
This vegetarian risotto is wonderfully creamy and topped with a grilled artichoke.Dinner for Two: Brown Butter Risotto + Grilled Artichokes
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 796Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 1346mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 10gSugar: 6gProtein: 15g
sharana @ Living The Sweet Life Blog says
Yummm - how decadent - sounds like the idea celebration meal!!
Lori says
I so agree with you about Five Guys. Yesterday in St. Louis they were asking for cheeseburger recommendations on the radio for National Cheeseburger Day. There is a place in Creve Coeur called Dave and Tony's that is supposed to be very good. It's run by two chefs. I wound up at Culvers last night and their burger was actually pretty good. Good luck on the hunt!
Laura | Fork Knife Swoon says
I have like a physical reaction when people compare five guys to in-n-out. No. Just no. But yes, please to grilled artichokes atop brown butter risotto! Looks incredible.
Jen @ Marshmallows and Margaritas says
Artichokes are my favorite non-sugary food on the planet, I think, and this looks AMAZING.
I feel the same way about meat... but I do like Five Guys and am pretty meh about In-N-Out. I agree they are very different, I just like Five Guys' burgers and fries better. The best thing at Five Guys is the hot dog with bacon and cheese, though, so I usually order that instead of a burger anyway. My favorite fast food-ish burger is at a place called Pure Burger, but I just looked and apparently we have the only location! So that isn't helpful at all. I normally just stick to burgers at home or at non-fast-food restaurants.
Alyssa // Runway Chef says
I'm glad I'm not the only one who flavors whole jars of mayo (in my case with sriracha). Artichokes are one of my favorite veggies and brown butter makes everything better...I vote this one as a "yes" for your birthday meal!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
I"m allllll about the brown butter right now, excessively so. BUT the more the better! Beautiful, and totally birthday-worthy...
Adri says
Ma che bello risotto! That looks so tempting, and I love seeing the artichoke on top. I bet this is absolutely delicious.
Beth Lowe says
I fix artichokes once a week. I just love them and this twist on my classic will be wonderful. I grill them and serve this with Cherry Tomatoes on a bed of Russian Kale. A big squirt of lemon juice and Voila!!
I will try the risotto this weekend. Most recipes make a weeks worth. Thank you.
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
You had me at brown butter! (Ok, the grilled artichokes too)
Cheryl says
My jaw DROPPED when I saw this in my inbox. I love that it's elegant and birthday-dinner-worthy without including any meat. Genius. You could even veganize it! We're definitely adding this to the meal plan this week.