Pesto Risotto with Miso Butter Mushrooms

Cook the mushrooms first. mix the olive oil or butter with the miso paste in a bowl, use a fork to cream them together until well combined;

Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, once hot, add the mushrooms, allow them to cook undisturbed for a few minutes to brown, about 2-3 minutes, then stir and flip to brown the other side;

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped thyme and minced garlic, stir and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes;

Add the creamed miso butter to the pan and stir to coat mushrooms evenly, once fully combined, turn off the heat and set aside;

If adding chickpeas and roasted tomatoes, toss each with their respective seasonings and transfer onto a lined baking sheet in a single layer, roast at 375°F for 20 - 25 minutes;

Cooke the risotto. First, warm the vegetable broth in a separate saucepan, bring to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer;

Heat a nice thick pot, a Dutch oven or a casserole pot, over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes till slightly browned and caramelized, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes till fragrant;

Add the rice and stir quickly until all of the rice grains are well-coated and the rice smells slightly toasted, you should be able to smell the aroma almost like toasted bread;

Carefully ladle in about 3/4 cup of the warm broth, stir every 30 seconds or so, not too often;

Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, add the next round of broth, 3/4 cup at a time. Continue this process, adding more broth when most of the liquid is absorbed for about 20 minutes until the risotto is creamy but not too soft or mushy, you can pick out a couple of grains of rice and give it a taste, make sure it's al dente;

Make the pesto by blending everything till smooth, stir 3-4 tablespoons into the risotto, remove from heat;

Serve with more pesto, roasted chickpeas, and tomatoes on the vine, enjoy!