Red Rice "Risotto" with Olives & Shaved Parmesan Reggiano

This morning I flipped to my calendar, and lo and behold, August has arrived, sizzling hot, king of the summer August. This year has practically flown by, and with August also comes my birthday, right around the corner, staring me in the face, the big 3-0 on 8-3. And what better way to celebrate than with great food and wine? Tonight, I'm planning to cook dinner for some friends, serving up arctic char sashimi with baby arugula to start, a main course of escolar (Hawaiian butterfish in the vein of Sea Bass), over sunchoke puree & sunburst squash, purple bell pepper & shell bean succotash. For dessert, I plan to make fresh strawberry & rosemary tarts. Wish me luck!

Then, to continue the celebration, Sunday night, we're hitting up Lucques' famous Sunday Night Suppers ($45 3 course fixed price) and on Monday, the actual day, I'm contemplating either a return visit to Osteria Mozza for their $35 bar special or a trip to Lou for their $55 tasting menu & wine pairing. What should I choose? Leave a comment and let me know!!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a lovely rice dish that's a snap to make, super healthy, and positively delicious! It's great to serve for company and pairs great with fish or meat dishes. It's a nice twist on the usual risotto and uses whole grain rice, which has great health benefits. Hope you enjoy it!

Domestic Diva's Red Rice "Risotto" with Olives & Shaved Parmesan Reggiano

1 cup red rice (or short grain brown rice)
2 1/2 cups filtered water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 black or green olives, pitted and chopped
shaved parmesan reggiano
salt and pepper

Directions:

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the white wine and simmer until absorbed. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover and allow to rest for 1/2 hour.

After half an hour, uncover and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, olives and season to taste with salt & pepper. Top with shaved parmesan and enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

red rice from Fish King

parmesan reggiano, black olives, organic lemon from Whole Foods

organic garlic from LOVE Delivery

Music on Tap:

Peter Gabriel - Us
Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Wetlands Acoustic 1