Everyone has a list of dishes that they want to cook or try to conquer at home. I feel that once I cross something off my list I’ve added two or three more to replace it. One of these dishes was risotto.

Shaun and I love to watch cooking shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Master chef, Pioneer Woman, Top Chef, and anything else showing on the Food Network channel. We would always watch people make risotto and complain while doing so. That makes the average cook worried about making it perfect or at least decent enough for you to swallow. We have had a BIG container of arborio rice sitting in our pantry. I’m not lying, its been on the shelf for about five to six months untouched and shoved to the back.

The other night Shaun and I decided to make something really nice for dinner. No it wasn’t Valentine’s Day, but the meal kind of resembled a Valentine’s Dinner. He was in charge of the Bacon Wrapped Maple Pork Loin and I was to make the risotto. At the time I felt like he got the better end of the deal since I was scared to make my dish.

Let me be the first to tell you that risotto is not at all hard to cook. Don’t be afraid to make it like I was. Yes, it takes a long time to cook but you only have to stir every couple of minutes and add more broth. Risotto will definitely be made in our household more often.

ENJOY!

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup shitake mushrooms, cleaned
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
additional topping parsley and parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Heat small sauce pan on low heat and add the chicken broth to keep it warm. In a large skillet or wok on medium heat add 1 Tbsp oil and then the rice. Stir the rice so that is well covered in the oil. Add the wine and stir till the liquid is all absorbed. With a ladle or measuring cup add a little broth at a time to the rice. Stir every couple of minutes and when liquid is absorbed add more broth. (Risotto has a long cooking process and may take about 40 minutes to cook) Risotto is done when its slightly creamy and you can bite into it and its not hard.

While risotto is cooking, heat another small sauce pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of butter. Let the butter melt just a bit and add onions and garlic. Saute till onions look translucent. Add the other Tbsp of butter with the mushrooms, thyme, and parsley. Saute everything for about 2-3 minutes and then set aside for the risotto. When risotto is finished add the mushroom and onion mixture and top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Use salt and pepper to taste!

Serves:3-4