This risotto can be a creamy, fla­vor­ful side to many fish and chicken dishes. Use reg­u­lar coconut milk as opposed to low-fat ver­sions because the fat will replace the parme­san found in most risotto recipes. Don’t worry, coconut milk is healthy for you in rea­son­able amounts!

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Ingre­di­ents

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• ½ white or yel­low onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh gin­ger, peeled and minced fine
• 3 gar­lic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 cups arbo­rio (risotto) rice
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 cup white wine
• 2–3 cups chicken broth
• Sea­son To Taste with salt and pepper
• 1 lime, zested
• 1–2 limes. juiced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 pound fresh sugar snap or snow peas, rinsed

Direc­tions

1. Heat sesame oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté the onion until it is translu­cent. Add the gin­ger and gar­lic and sauté one minute more. Stir in the arbo­rio rice to coat the grains with the oil.
2. Open the can of coconut milk and stir together the liq­uid and solids if they are sep­a­rated. Pour half of the can of coconut milk into a mea­sur­ing cup.  Add the 1 cup of white wine and enough chicken stock to equal 2 1/2 cups. Mix the liq­uids into the rice and bring to a sim­mer. Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid that is just off-center,  allow­ing steam to escape. Check the risotto every 3–5 min­utes, stir­ring and adding more chicken stock  and the remain­ing coconut milk as the liq­uid is absorbed. Cook until the rice is soft and the  tex­ture is creamy. Sea­son to taste with salt and pep­per, lime zest, lime juice and fresh cilantro.
3. While the risotto is cook­ing, clean the peas. Snap the tips off of each pea and pull off any tough strings that run along the seam of the pea. Set up a medium sized pot with a steamer bas­ket, a small amount of water in the bot­tom, and a lid. Bring to a sim­mer. Just before the risotto is ready, steam the peas until they are bright green and ten­der but with a slight crunch. Sea­son with salt and pep­per and serve over the risotto.