Three Risottos!!!!

How did I NOT know about risotto until I was 50???  Where WAS I?  Why was this kept from me???  Once you learn to make a basic risotto, fast, yummy food is right there in your grasp!  SO let's start with basic and move out from there:

Parmesan Cheese Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 t chives, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion, diced
28 oz chicken or vegetable broth - heated
1/2 pound arborio rice (it has to be arborio)
S/P
2 t olive oil
2 t butter
1/2 heavy cream
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure:
Heat the oil and butter over med-low heat (yup, medium low - this one cooks SLOWLY)

Add the garlic and onion and saute until the onion is translucent

Dump in the rice and stir until the grains are coated

Add a cup of broth and keep sirring gently until the rice has absorbed the liquid.

Add another cup and keep stirring

Do it again

Add the last helf cup and keep stirring  (the whole process takes about 20 minutes - you'll have a nice creamy looking rice at the end.  You may need to add a little more broth if the rice has a hard "bite" to it.  It should be puffy, but still al dente - not mushy!!!

Add the cream.  Keep stirring for a minute while the cream heats.

Add the cheese.

Keep stirring.

Add some black pepper, salt to taste and add the chives.

Serve with a glass of white wine.  Oh, yum!!

Tomato, Arugala and Mozzarella Risotto

Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups hot vegetable stock (plus 1 just in case)
2 Tbsp cold butter
2 cups arugula, washed and dried
1 cup little vine tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), quartered
¾ cup fresh mozzarella, diced
Parmigiano Reggiano to serve
Salt to taste


Same procedure:
Saute the shallots in the olive oil over med heat

Once the shallots are translucent, add the arborio rice and fry it so all the grains get coated in the fat.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates completely.

Add the first cup of vegetable stock and cook, stirring occasionally (and gently) until it is absorbed by the rice.

Repeat the process with the other 2 cups of stock, one at a time. If at the end, you think your rice is still too hard, add 1/2 - 1 more cup of stock and cook until it's al dente.

Turn the heat off and add the butter, stirring vigorously but being careful to not break the grains.

Once the butter has been added and stirred, add the tomatoes and the arugula and stir until everything is incorporated.

Add the fresh mozzarella and stir gently.

Taste to check seasoning and add salt if necessary.

Serve immediately, with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Mushroom, Onion, and Bacon Risotto

Ingredients:2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 slices bacon chopped
6 ounces baby bella mushroom sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
5 1/2 cups chicken broth, heated
1 1/2 ounces gratedparmesan or romano cheese
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

Same Procedure:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with oil. Add onion and bacon and cook until bacon is almost crisp and onion is tender (about 5-6 minutes)

Stir in mushrooms and 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.

Add 1/2 of the wine and stir until liquid is absorbed (about 3-4 minutes)

Add rice and stir until rice is light brown (about 4-5 minutes) then stir in remaining wine stirring until all liquid is absorbed

Add 1 cup of hot broth to rice mixture; stirring constantly until liquid is completely absorbed.

Keep adding in 1 cup increments until broth is absorbed each time - this process should take about 25 minutes.

Stir in cheese and butter then season will additional salt and pepper to your liking

Zucchini

Lobster

Corn

Chicken and Champagne

Asparagus
Pumpkin

Leek

Pepper and Sausage

Scallop and Lemon

Tomato and Basil.....

hundreds more!!!   Have fun - you're only limted by your imagination!