Capsicum and Pea Risotto

If peas please you, then getting pleasure out of this risotto will be a peas of cake.

In fact even if you are not overly appeased by the presence of peas, this plant-based spin on an otherwise traditional Italian meal will have you pretty satisfied – to say the least.

If the excessively punned introduction didn’t give it away, one of the stars of this dish is the humble pea. A little less humble perhaps, as we’ve managed to put it into the dish in three different ways. Sweet baby peas, crunchy sugar-snaps, and nutrient-filled snow pea tendrils (locally sourced from the Morningside Market Gardens might we add) have been incorporated to add a pleasant lightness to this otherwise carbalicious comfort food. The other star is the capsicum, chargrilled before being added to the risotto, giving the meal a beautiful warm orange hue. And finally, to add more ‘health’ we’ve taken away the dairy and replaced it with coconut – simmering the rice in coconut milk and sprinkling on top our home-made coconut feta.