Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

Hello! I am so glad you clicked on this blog post. Wanna know why? Because that means you are not afraid to try a recipe that could be a little bit of a challenge. Bravo to you! Risotto can seem daunting. I know because this is only the second time I've ever made it and the first one turned out, well, just ‘meh.’ BUT, before I lose you because you decide it's too hard, let me assure you, it's not! I have a very special friend, Amber, in Omaha who has a birthday coming up, and since I'll be visiting near her birthday I promised to make a special dinner for her; anything she wants. She chose salmon and risotto…thanks, babe. Ha. Due to my short and unfulfilling history with risotto I thought I'd better practice ahead, so that's just what I did last Monday night – boy, howdy, was I pleased with the results. Creamy, buttery, perfectly cooked risotto that I would happily eat in any restaurant - but that I enjoyed right at my own dining room table (with my kids causing a big ruckus while I was trying to enjoy it)! I mean, is there anything better? Yes, I'm quite certain there is, but I digress...

There are a few key things you need to know before you make your first batch of risotto: The first is you must use Arborio rice. Arborio rice is the ideal rice for risotto because it is a short grain, starchy rice which keeps its integrity over the long cooking process that risotto requires. The second is, the cooking liquid. Risotto typically calls for a combination of dry white wine (such as pinot grigio) with chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you want the dish to be vegetarian). The key here is to heat the wine and stock together in a saucepan, then ladle the hot liquid into the rice as it cooks. You don't want to add cold wine and stock to the hot rice because, scientifically speaking, it will screw it up. The third thing is, you have to babysit the rice - but it's not as bad as you might think. In the past it was believed that one had to stand at the stove the entire time the rice was cooking with someone waving a fan to keep them cool, daubing a sweaty brow when it became too much to handle. No longer. Should you stir the rice frequently? Yes, you should. Do you need to stir it constantly? No, you don't. My rule: I never left the kitchen while the rice was cooking, but I did do other things, returning to the simmering rice frequently to stir, stir, stir. I don't think I ever walked away from it for more than two minutes. Think of the rice as a newborn baby that you would take exquisite care of - because the results will be so worth it. Lastly, most risottos start out the same way (sweat onions in butter, add rice and sauté, then add stock and wine until all is soaked up) but can end in any number of fabulous ways. This particular risotto is finished with roasted asparagus and porcini mushrooms - but you must feel free to add any veggies you like! A handful of frozen peas is a great traditional risotto add-in, and far less work than roasting asparagus and rehydrating mushrooms. Always, always add the cheese (because: CHEESE) and lemon zest (it really wakes up the flavor after the risotto has cooked for so long), but you could even feel free to leave the risotto plain and serve the veggies on the side. Make it your own; feel free to do a little research on other risotto add-ins. Use the ingredients you (or the birthday girl in your life) like, which is part of what cooking great food is about, right? Plus, you’ll enjoy conquering a traditional culinary challenge…one risotto at a time.

Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto (adapted from foodnetwork.com)

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 bundle asparagus
1 t. olive oil 
Salt and pepper
6 c. low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 c. dry white wine
2 T. unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. lemon zest
1/2 t. nutmeg

Heat a small saucepan full of water to boiling. When the water boils, turn off the heat, dump in the porcini mushrooms, cover and let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate the mushrooms. After thirty minutes drain the mushrooms and let sit until they are cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 and prepare a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Cut the trimmed asparagus into 1" pieces, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for about 10 minutes or until it is tender and a few pieces are starting to caramelize. Set aside. 

Pour the chicken broth and white wine into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. You don't want to boil it, just heat it gently until heated through then place over low heat while you cook the risotto. In a medium skillet (I used a high sided skillet but you could use a dutch oven if that's all you have - you just want something with a bigger surface area than a saucepan) melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat (meaning, saute without browning) for 5 minutes. Add the rice and saute an additional 3-5 minutes (without browning) or until the rice becomes translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low and start adding the broth/wine mixture. A good rule of thumb is to add enough to just cover the rice without drowning it. I used a ladle to make this process easier. Stir the rice frequently, adding additional broth/wine until the liquid is gone and the rice is creamy and cooked through. After the last addition of broth/wine add the asparagus and mushrooms (chop if the pieces are too big) and stir until the broth/wine is fully absorbed. The whole process should take between 30 and 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan, lemon zest and nutmeg. Taste for salt (I added a little bit more) and serve immediately.

8 servings (267 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com