Vegan Risotto

Dedicated to Jonathan, who is trying to lower his cholesterol or triglycerides or something.

Here's something you should know about Jonathan: He is a vegetarian. And yet he apparently has such high cholesterol that his doctor has had "a word" with him How can this be? I'll tell you how: Not only is Jonathan a vegetarian, he is also an Australian. And the problem with Australians is that when made to give up their barbecues, they tend to fall back on the deep fried and stodgy foods of their British ancestry. And believe me, there is nothing that an Australian would find more insulting than to be reminded of having British Ancestry, but it's true. And British food is world renowned for being terrible. Everything is deep fried or buttery and vegetables, when present, are boiled until they are unrecognizable. So when you couple that with Jonathan's addiction to cheese (in lieu of barbecue meat), you're heading for trouble.

By contrast, the Italians seem to have the right idea about things. They cover everything with cholesterol-lowering olive oil, infuse everything with garlic, drink red wine, and live with a relaxing fegiddahbowddit attitude. And I, having Italian blood, have magically been inspired to create this tantalizing dish.

I've also made it easy for those bachelors on the go.


The Recipe:

1 package rice in the individual boily bag thingy
2 medium tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 or 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
A few leaves of fresh basil, torn into bits.


Set the rice to boil in slightly salted water. While it is boiling, prepare the other ingredients, and put them into a large bowl. It helps if you stir it all up together. When the rice is done, cut the bag open (be careful! Don't burn your fingers! Use a fork for Chrissakes!) and dump the rice into the bowl. Mix it all together. Add more olive oil if you like, if you're not worried about the calories. Don't worry about the fat thing, because this is good fat.

Good, huh?.......Now lay off the cheese for a while, my friend. x