Vegan Vegtable "Firminy" Risotto

The first time I helped make risotto was at a dinner at my former professor (and architect) Jose Oubrerie's home. He worked with Le Corbusier and recently finished Saint Pierre de Firminy Church in Firminy Vert, France. So with that in mind I thought I would share another one of my favorite risotto recipe's and one of my favorite churches, which I hope to visit someday soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Pierre,_Firminy

Ingredients:

• half of a red onion chopped
• olive oil
• 1 cup arboreo rice
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• a handful of each, broccoli, leek, peas, button mushrooms; all chopped (really you could use any vegetables you like but I like this combination)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon of sage
• parsley to garnish
• (optional or spicy version) use a tablespoon or so of Cajun spices

1. Saute the onion in olive oil in a medium sized pot
2. add garlic to the onion after onion is sauteed
3.  pour in about 1 cup of vegetable stock to unstick the onions in the pot
4. Add arboreo rice into the pot
5. The trick to risotto is to alternate stirring the risotto and adding vegetable stock, add the stock little by little and let the risotto cook over medium heat. The 1 cup of arboreo rice will expand and the stock will cook down.
6. After about 10 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. keep on stirring and adding the stock.
7. Add the paprika and salt and pepper to taste. It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete the stirring and adding of stock, be sure to taste.
8. Let the risotto sit for 10 minutes before serving and add chopped Italian parsley to garnish.