Try This Recipe: Mock Risotto With Vegetables

That turkey chili from last time was really good - and good thing, too, because the friend I was cooking with had somehow made it to the ripe age of 20 without ever trying chili. I don't know how that happened, but I do know I've won him over. Depending on who you talk to, I'm good at that.

One thing I'm not good at: moderation. I always forget how much bigger rice and beans get when cooked, so I made about double what I needed. Half went in the chili, and half went into the fridge for a midweek meal. My absolute favorite thing to do with leftover rice is fried rice, but a close second is mock risotto. This recipe makes five to six generous helpings of creamy, veggie-studded comfort food - the perfect thing for the middle of a long, rainy week.

I used:

2 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups cooked beans

2 cups water (more as needed)

1 cup milk

2-3 T olive oil

1/2 T red pepper flakes

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 T grated parmesan cheese

3 cups zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cup spinach, shredded

Put the rice and beans in a large pot, and add milk and water to cover. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and then lower the heat and cover. Check on it every five minutes or so, and scrape up any bits that get stuck to the bottom. (Or leave some. They get yummy.)

Coat the bottom of a large pan with 1 T olive oil. Add the red pepper flakes and put on high for up to a minute, to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onions and sweat them for about a minute. Add the garlic and sweat it while the onion starts to caramelize. Scrape into the rice mixture, and stir until uniform. Add the cheeses and stir them in, as well.

Add a little more oil to the pan, and lightly saute the zucchini until just wilted. (It's ok to do this part in batches. I was using a small pan.) When it's done, add it to the pot, too.

Prime the pan again, and this time, saute the mushrooms over low to medium heat. Once they heat up, they'll shrink and release liquid into the pan. (A small pan is actually better for this part.) Once they release that liquid, give them one good stir and place the shredded spinach on top. The mushrooms will finish cooking (and taste like wonderfully mushroom-y mushrooms, since they kept all that liquid nearby) and steam the spinach. Once all the spinach is wilted, reduce heat to low until the mushroom juice is all cooked off, stirring frequently.

By now, the rice mixture should be thick and somewhat porridge-like. If it's still very watery, remove the lid and raise the heat for a few minutes, until it reduces somewhat. Old rice won't always absorb all the liquid, and that's ok. Once it has thickened, add the mushroom and spinach. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for five to 15 minutes so the flavors can blend. Serve with grated parmesan.

Serves 5-6

Nutrition info for a serving of a generous cup (up to 1 1/4 cup): 272 calories, 43g carbohydrates, 6g fat, 21g protein, 8g fiber, 398mg sodium.