Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Mushroom Risotto

****From Emily's Kitchen

I'm officially back to cooking and it feels so good! I forgot how much I really enjoy cooking and then posting the recipe for others to enjoy. Kevin and i are going out of town for the weekend to celebrate our birthdays (and happy hour tomorrow for Kevin's bday) so I won't post for a few days, but I promise...I'm back!

So, Kevin and I were trying to decide what to cook for dinner, and I didn't really feel like meat. I suggested mushroom risotto. I made it the real way, not Katy's quick way (which is delicious and easy). This way required a lot more attention and time but just as easy!

I looked up a recipe online but then decided to just use the recipe on the back of the risotto (arborio) rice bag.

Here's what you'll need
* 4 tbsp butter
* 4 tbsp olive oil
* 3 cups sliced mushrooms (use a mix)
* 5 cups of chicken or veggie broth (or stock)
* 3/4 cup white wine
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice
* 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
* Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Season to taste with S&P

Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat

Heat the remaining butter and olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautee for 1-2 minutes until it begins to soften. Make sure you don't brown it. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, make sure all the grains are well coated.

Add the wine and stir until it's completely absorbed. Begin to add broth 1/2 cup at a time, adding another 1/2 cup when the broth is just about absorbed. Stir frequently and be sure to avoid letting the rice stick to the bottom. Continue doing this until you have about 1/4 cup of broth left. Allow the liquid in the rice to absorb, stir frequently.

Once the rice has cooked to the point of being tender, add the mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and season to taste. Stir and serve immediately.

This recipe was very simple. There seems to be a misunderstanding that risotto is difficult to make. Believe me, it's simple and well worth the time. This came out amazing. The recipe says it serves 4 people, we ate this with a salad and have enough leftovers for 4 more...I'd say the recipe makes 6 servings. . Feel free to add whatever veggies you chose (or meat). Next time we'll probably add another veggie with it, but it was delicious alone too. The recipe took about 45 minutes to make from start to end I'd say.

Recipe courtesy of: Della Arborio Rice