STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

If you like asparagus you might like this one. I've made it before and thought it was good.

Spring Risotto

Recipe Rating:
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 6 servings, 1 cup each


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3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
1/2 cup milk
1 bunch (1 lb.) asparagus, trimmed, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper  

MELT butter with olive oil in a deep skillet on medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown. TOSS in rice and stir to coat the rice. Add warm broth, milk and asparagus. BRING to a boil over medium heat; simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. Mix in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese just before serving.

Here's the link  http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&Rpage=2&u1=keyword&u2=asparagus&u3=**30*54&wf=9&recipe_id=63775


-- Edited by rosie_the_riveter at 19:38, 2007-02-26

As an Italian-American, I don't usually follow a recipe - that's how easy the real stuff is. It just requires attention and passion. Here's what I do.

Pour a glass of crisp, white wine - a regular serving size, which is what? 6 ounces or so?

Heat up two cans (or one of those boxes) of vegetable broth in your big Pyrex measuring cup or in a small saucepan on the stove. Just have it warm-to-hot and handy.

In a heavy, good-sized pot, saute some chopped garlic and onion and shallots if you got 'em in quite a bit of olive oil over a medium flame. Chuck in a cup or so of Arborio rice (it is critical to use Arborio for risotto...if you use regular rice, all you're making is rice).

Stir so all the grains are coated with oil and shiny; just a few minutes. Say less than 5 but more than 2.

Pour the glass of white wine into the pot and stir slowly and passionately. You will start to see a white "pearl" in the center of each grain of rice, and the moisture reacts with the coating on the rice so everything gets slightly creamy. Do this until the wine is absorbed, again, less than 5 minutes.

Add some vegetable broth to the pot - about a cup, say. Continue to keep the rice in motion by stirring slowly and passionately.

Pour yourself another glass of white wine. (This one's just for drinking.) Yell to somebody to come make a salad.

You can turn the flame down to the low side of medium at this point. It's up to you. As you start to notice the liquid absorbing, add some more broth - stir - and keep adding and stirring until your broth is gone and the risotto is getting quite thick.

At this point you can throw in some extra goodies, like sliced mushrooms, fresh basil or rosemary, uncooked shrimp, broccoli florets, shredded carrots or zucchini, or anything in the fridge you want to get rid of. Just stir this stuff in.

Taste a few grains of rice: it should still be a bit chewy. If it's not done yet, just add small amounts of hot water and keep on stirring.

When the rice is ready, turn off the fire, throw in a chunk of butter (2 TB or so), a handful of grated cheese of some kind, and put the lid on. Set the table, pour another glass of wine.

By the time you come back the butter and cheese have melted, so give it a final stir and put it on the table.

I'm reviving this thread to share a tasty and easy recipe that I made tonight for dinner. You could use vegetable broth to make it completely vegetarian. You can also chop up the asparagus and mix it into the risotto instead of serving the risotto over the asparagus. Enjoy!

WALNUT RISOTTO WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS
Bon Appétit, June 1996
Restaurant: The Lodge; Lanai, Hawaii
Cooking For Health
Serves 4.

4 1/2 to 5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 teaspoons olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1-1/4 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons freshly grated
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Cover and remove from heat. Heat 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until light golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot broth and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue adding more broth, 1/2 cupful at a time, until rice is tender and creamy, stirring frequently and allowing most of broth to be absorbed before adding more, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, place asparagus and garlic in shallow baking dish. Drizzle remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat with oil. Bake asparagus until tender, turning occasionally, about 16 minutes.
Mix walnuts and grated Parmesan into risotto. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange roasted asparagus in center of 4 plates. Top with risotto.

Thanks Monica! Sounds yummy, and it's low-fat too!

Suasoria wrote:

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Yummy AND you stay sober, too.

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That cracked me up, for some reason.

ok this may seem like a stupid question because I have never made risotto, but can you make it with brown rice too? or just white?

TIA :)