Eating the Moosewood Restaurant way every day has never been easier. Whole grains. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Lean, nutrient-rich fish. We all know the virtues of a well-balanced dietof choosing foods that nourish our bodies and respect the environmentbut as the world around us gets busier and more complicated, we also know how difficult it can be to prepare a wholesome, satisfying supper. With an emphasis on healthful natural foods, Moosewood Restaurant has operated successfully for more than thirty years and has been acclaimed as a driving force in the world of creative vegetarian cuisine. Now the Moosewood Collective goes back to basics withMoosewood Restaurant Simple Suppersto deliver fresh, imaginative, and quickly prepared dishes for the weeknight table that are also delicious and reliable. Shortcut Chili. Creamy Lemon Pasta. Warm French Lentil Salad. Pine NutCrusted Fish. Mocha Sorbet. From soups and pastas made with just a few pantry essentials to crisp salads, stir-fries, sandwiches, and desserts, these easy-to-prepare recipes are brilliant as is. However, the folks at Moosewood realize that flexibility is the cornerstone of weeknight cooking, so you'll find clever ingredient substitutions, alternative cooking methods, and serving suggestions alongside the recipes inSimple Suppersit all depends on what's in the fridge and what sounds appetizing at the moment. Make extra Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Salad on Monday and toss leftovers with hot pasta for Tuesday's supper. No onions for Black Beans with Pickled Red Onions? Try the beans over rice with Quick Avocado and Corn Salsa instead. The 175-plus recipes inMoosewood Restaurant Simple Suppersare as flexible as they are flavorfulthe perfect go-to for a quick, healthy meal any day of the week, any time of year. We crave simple food. We want cooking at home to be a small pleasurerelaxed enough that we can enjoy the process as well as the results. When we mentioned to friends that we were thinking of doing a book of recipes for simple suppers, inevitably they exclaimed, "That's the one I need" or "Write that book for me." The idea of simple suppers strikes a chord within us all. We hope this cookbook will help make suppertime a welcome, peaceful time of your day.from the Introduction

Recipients of three James Beard Awards and numerous nominations, the Moosewood Collective has now branched out into prepared foods, which are available in natural food stores and supermarkets nationwide. Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers is their eleventh cookbook.

Moosewood, Inc., and the authors who contributed to this book have donated one percent of their earnings from Simple Suppers to the Robin Whittlesey Social Justice Fund, which provides emergency support to individuals and children in the Ithaca community who are undergoing hardship or who have special unmet needs.

Spinach Artichoke Risotto

Serves 6
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 quart vegetable broth (see below)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1 tablespoon dried dill (2 tablespoons chopped fresh)
• 10 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and drained
• .5 cup chopped scallions
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)

To Prepare

In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

In a large, heavy saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil until golden, just a few seconds. Add the rice, stirring to coat each grain with oil. Stir in the wine, artichoke hearts, and dill if using dried. Cook, stirring often, until the wine is absorbed. Ladle in the hot broth a cup at a time, stirring frequently. After each addition, cook until the rice has absorbed most of the broth before adding the next ladleful.

When most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender but still al dente, stir in the spinach, in batches if necessary. When the spinach is wilted but still bright green, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the scallions, feta cheese, and dill if using fresh. Serve at once.

Vegetable Broth is our favorite shortcut product for home cooking. At Moosewood Restaurant, we make fresh vegetable stock every day because it gives our soups depth and complexity. But when you’re pressed for time, homemade stock just isn’t going to happen. So, how can you turn out soups in an instant that still have plenty of flavor like those that simmer half the day? Good news: Quart boxes of organic vegetable, mushroom, and mock chicken broth are on the shelves of most natural food stores and supermarkets. We like Imagine and Pacific brands.

These broths taste great, have pure ingredients, and can be used directly from the box for soups, stews, and risottos. Once opened, the brother keeps for a few weeks in the refrigerator. Unopened, they sit in your cupboard until you need them. If we were to poll Moosewood cooks, we think these broths would probably be named “favorite convenience product used at home.”

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Excerpted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table by Moosewood Collective Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.