Lemony Shitake Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

Oh goodness. As I’m sitting here thinking if I should write about how I’m headed back to a grueling five days of work in Vegas, or about how I get to meet one of my bestie’s brand new baby tomorrow, and a serendipitous moment occurred.

While I’m lying in bed typing and deleting, typing and deleting, an eye catching commercial came on. And what was it an ad for? Top Chef. My number one must watch show.

A show in which no one can seem to cook this damn dish correctly. I find risotto to be a slow and low stress dish to cook. Yet somehow, chef after chef heads home after cooking it.

Maybe I should teach them a thing or two.

Don’t let their failures stop you from trying this dish. If you add the liquid a little at a time, cook it off slowly, and add in great flavors, you will have a hit every time.

You will need…

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

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4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound shitake mushrooms, stems removed diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

5 cups chicken stock

1 small onion, chopped

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Start bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Toss in the asparagus and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over a medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper. 

Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms start to brown.

Add in the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, and set aside with the asparagus.

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a low simmer.

While you are heating the stock, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot over a medium heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Add the rice and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.

Add the wine and the lemon zest and season well with salt and pepper. Stir, often until the liquid is absorbed.

As soon as the liquid has been absorbed, pour in ½ cup of the simmering stock and continue to cook, stirring often until the stock has been absorbed.

Continue to add stock to the rice, ½  cup at a time. Lightly simmer the rice and stock until it is absorbed before adding the next ½ cup. Stir often.

Before the last ½ cup of stock, add in the mushrooms, asparagus and cheese.

Add in the last of the stock and simmer, stirring consistently until all the liquid is absorbed.

Serve hot topped with a little extra cheese.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Lemony Shitake Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound shitake mushrooms, stems removed diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

5 cups chicken stock

1 small onion, chopped

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

Start bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Toss in the asparagus and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over a medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms start to brown.

Add in the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, and set aside with the asparagus.

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a low simmer.

While you are heating the stock, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot over a medium heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.

Add the wine and the lemon zest and season well with salt and pepper. Stir, often until the liquid is absorbed.

As soon as the liquid has been absorbed, pour in ½ cup of the simmering stock and continue to cook, stirring often until the stock has been absorbed.

Continue to add stock to the rice, ½  cup at a time. Lightly simmer the rice and stock until it is absorbed before adding the next ½ cup. Stir often.

Before the last ½ cup of stock, add in the mushrooms, asparagus and cheese.

Add in the last of the stock and simmer, stirring consistently until all the liquid is absorbed.

Serve hot topped with a little extra cheese. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Grilled Shrimp and Arugula

I post a lot of pictures of food.

A LOT.

There are literally thousands and thousands of pictures of food on my computer, phone, and social networking sites.

Thousands.

I often find members of my family staring my computer screen saver because it is a constant stream of delicious looking food.

Some of the food pictures are just so-so. But, sometimes when I am lucky. I get really beautiful food photos. Photos that are almost as good as the dishes themselves.

And these pictures are really good, so just imagine how tasty the food was.

You will need…

1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 garlic cloves

2 shallots, chopped

3 cups chicken broth plus 1 to 2 cups extra on hand in case

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 cups arugula

12 large shrimp

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

Then, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and butternut squash in a medium bowl.

Season with salt and pepper and toss together so that the squash is lightly coated with oil and spices.

Pour the squash onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

When the squash is tender, pour into your blender and blend until completely smooth.

Combine the squash puree and the 3 cups of chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a very slow simmer, just to keep it warm.

Then, over medium heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot. When the oil is hot, add in the shallots, garlic and rice and cook until the rice is well coated with olive oil.

Add in the wine and the sage and cooked until the wine has been absorbed. Slowly stirring continuously.

Then add in 1/3^rd of the squash broth mixture to the rice and cook, stirring continuously until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Repeat until all the broth and squash has been absorbed by the rice.

When the rice is done, it will be soft on the outside and a little toothy in the center. The stirring will create a smooth, melty like texture with the rice.

If the rice is not the correct consistency when the squash broth mixture has all been used, add in a ½ cup excess broth to the rice, stirring continuously until you get the desired texture.

When the risotto is minutes from being done, heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan.

As soon as the oil is hot, add in the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.

Cook just until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. A little less than 2 minutes a side.

Season the risotto with salt and pepper and add in the Parmigiano.

Serve the risotto and shrimp hot over a bed of arugula.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Grilled Shrimp and Arugula

1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 garlic cloves

2 shallots, chopped

3 cups chicken broth plus 1 to 2 cups extra on hand in case

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 cups arugula

12 large shrimp

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

Then, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and butternut squash in a medium bowl.

Season with salt and pepper and toss together so that the squash is lightly coated with oil and spices.

Pour the squash onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

When the squash is tender, pour into your blender and blend until completely smooth.

Combine the squash puree and the 3 cups of chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a very slow simmer, just to keep it warm.

Then, over medium heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot. When the oil is hot, add in the shallots, garlic and rice and cook until the rice is well coated with olive oil.

Add in the wine and the sage and cooked until the wine has been absorbed. Slowly stirring continuously.

Then add in 1/3^rd of the squash broth mixture to the rice and cook, stirring continuously until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Repeat until all the broth and squash has been absorbed by the rice.

When the rice is done, it will be soft on the outside and a little toothy in the center. The stirring will create a smooth, melty like texture with the rice.

If the rice is not the correct consistency when the squash broth mixture has all been used, add in a ½ cup excess broth to the rice, stirring continuously until you get the desired texture.

When the risotto is minutes from being done, heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan.

As soon as the oil is hot, add in the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.

Cook just until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. A little less than 2 minutes a side.

Season the risotto with salt and pepper and add in the Parmigiano.

Serve the risotto and shrimp hot over a bed of arugula.