Risotto

My mom and dad really like this recipe. Dad made it for us once when he came to visit and I forgot to take a photo for this blog. So I recently made it myself to see if I could do it. It's a very simple recipe, but a little time consuming. You really have to add the broth slowly and stir quite often. It's not a recipe you can get started and leave it to simmer on its own. 

This goes great with a number of dishes. Our family served it with a teriyaki chicken pre-made mix I found. You could serve it with pretty much any meat. It's pretty filling so for my two parents, they split the recipe in half. I decided to make the full, just because I knew we would want leftovers. It worked just fine.

• 1 cup dry white wine, optional
• 1 oz dried or 1 cup fresh mushrooms, optional
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

If you are using the mushrooms, boil the wine and add the mushrooms. Set aside for later. Sauté onion in oil and butter for 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Add rice, stirring for about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of broth, cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Gradually add remaining broth about a 1/2 cup at a time. Let all liquid be absorbed before adding more.

If using wine and mushrooms, add them about half way through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

NOTES: I called my dad in the middle of making this to make sure I was doing it correctly. He said medium-high heat was good for the rice; you want the broth to just be simmering a little as it is absorbed.

Test the rice once you've added all the broth to make sure it's not still crunchy. Mine wasn't but sometimes it will not be cooked completely so you may need to add more broth or water. I also did not add any salt or pepper and it tasted just fine.

Serves: 4-6

Total Time: 40 minutes

Recipe from the kitchen of Mom & Dad!