Christmas tree is up, stockings are hung and a dozen holiday-scented candles are lit. Christmas time is here!

I love how the holiday season reminds us of what’s really important.

Like my uncanny resemblance to the Grinch.

We relate on a really cerebral level, it’s just deep, man. Minus the anti-Christmas sentiments, we are practically twins. The secret language with our animals, the social anxiety, the love of raw onion, the motivation to publicly receive awards, it’s all there. Plus, I, too, have a standing 4 o’clock appointment to wallow in self-pity. I’m watching the movie now and he just said, “What if it’s a cruel prank? What if it’s a cash bar?” These are literally the only two things that cross my mind when I’ve been invited to a party or event.

Also, I can do a near-perfect impersonation of the Grinch smile and it is a real crowd pleaser.

 

 

Time: 1 1/2 hours (prep + cooking) | Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of arborio rice
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup of dry white wine
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• 3 red peppers, tops lopped off
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut in florets
• 3 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper
• S+P, to taste
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast + more for serving

How to:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Arrange peppers on a lined baking sheet + drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil + some S+P
• Arrange the broccoli florets on a lined baking sheet + drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil + some S+P
• Roast veggies for 20 minutes, toss, roast another 10, remove broccoli, stir peppers again, cook until blackened on almost all sides
• Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat
• Add onion + S+P, cook 3-4 minutes
• Add garlic, cook another minute
• Add rice, stir to coat + toast for a minute
• Turn down heat to low-med, add wine, stir + let rice absorb
• Add stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until each ladle full is absorbed, repeat until rice is tender, about 40 minutes
• Once peppers are cool, remove skin + chop peppers up
• Once rice is tender, add roasted veggies + nutritional yeast + crushed red pepper + some S+P
• Serve warm with some extra nutritional yeast
• Roll up leftovers into lil balls + hang from your tree for a lil extra pizazz this Christmas