Rainy Day Risotto

Today is a gross day. It has started to get colder, rain, and storm here in Dallas. NOT fun at all, especially since I have a lot to study for a test on Thursday, and all I want to do is get my pajamas on, curl up with a heated blanket and watch some Netflix.

But no, I must study, study! But these dreary days really make me crave some comfort food. And when I think of comfort food, my go-to dish is risotto. Risotto is just one of those hearty Italian favorites that I crave in the fall/ winter time. It is rich and creamy without having to add any amount of cream.

Delicious and nutritious, especially when you add a some lovely roasted vegetables. If the thought of making risotto scares you, don't be! It is actually really simple to make while keeping one rule in mind: do not leave the risotto unattended while cooking! If you obey that one rule, you can make risotto fit for a dinner party! So without further a-do, this is my recipe for a perfect rainy-day meal!

Print this recipe!

Roasted Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups vegetables of your choice (my favs: squash, asparagus, red bell pepper)
• 1.5 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1.5 teaspoon butter, unsalted
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 quart, low sodium chicken/ vegetable stock
• Pinch of saffron, optional
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat, sauteed vegetables in the olive oil until golden brown and tender. Like so:

In the mean time, heat up the chicken/ vegetable stock in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Remove vegetables, and set aside. add onion + 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and sauté onion until translucent and lightly golden. Will take about 7 - 10 minutes. Add butter and stir in the rice, until everything is evenly coated.

A half cup at a time, add the warm chicken stock to the pan. Stir the rice to evenly coat (You will want to stir the rice every 1 - 2 minutes or so throughout the rest of the process). Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, add another 1/2 cup of stock. Continue to repeat this process until the rice has achieved a creamy consistancy. Process should take about 20 - 30 minutes in total. Rice should be tender, yet not mushy.

Rice with stock just added

Rice has absorbed all of the chicken stock! Time to add more liquid.

Once the rice has a creamy consistency, but just before the rice has cooked all the way through (bite into the rice to see if it is still raw in the middle), add back in the vegetables and saffron.

Sorry about the blur

Continue cooking until rice had just become tender all the way through the grain, and the vegetables are hot. Stir in the parmesan cheese and test for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve immediately with a nice glass of white wine!

Yield: 4 servings