March 13th, 2023

Some people are intimidated by the word "risotto" but it just means "rice" in Italian so don't let it scare you. The difference between what we think of as traditional rice dishes and risotto is that in traditional rice dishes, all of the liquid is added in the beginning and in risotto, the liquid is added a little at a time.  Also, risotto is made with Arborio rice rather than the traditional long grain white rice. And that's it. It's a really flavorful replacement for potatoes and it's the perfect accompaniment for pork chops or pork loin or grilled tri-tip or chicken. Try it — you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 small diced onion
1 cup Arborio rice
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 8-ounce packages of mushrooms, sliced
1 very large diced tomato, the fresher the better
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 tablespoon fresh finely snipped rosemary (more if you like rosemary)
1/4 cup fresh shredded or grated parmesan cheese (not Kraft parmesan cheese)

Do the prep work first — slice the mushrooms, dice the tomato, chop the basil, and snip the rosemary.

Then melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan and sauté the onion until tender. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add about 1/3 of one can of chicken broth, and the salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat until the liquid is absorbed. Stir gently — think fluffing — just to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining liquid, 1/3 can at a time, gently fluffing occasionally as needed. Don't overmix or the rice will become gluey. The rice is done when it's tender on the outside but chewy on the inside, so you may or may not need the last 1/3 can of broth.

While the rice is cooking, briefly sauté the mushrooms in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. When the rice is done add the mushrooms, tomato, basil, rosemary, cream, and parmesan cheese to the rice and fold gently. Again, don't over mix or the rice will become gluey. Cook on low heat just until heated through and serve immediately.

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