Weeknight Risotto

So lately, I have been OBSESSED with risotto. It is so fun to mix and match different flavors and create yummy, hearty dinners. Here is another one that I made last Wednesday that I had to share:


Gorgonzola and Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

1 package sliced white mushrooms
Olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup (3 oz.) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Salt
Pepper


This recipe serves 4 to 6 people, so adjust ingredients accordingly.


Recipe:

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium high heat. In a heavy-bottomed pot, (the kind with two handles on both sides) heat a few turns of olive oil over medium heat and add shallot and saute until tender. Next, add mushrooms and some salt and pepper to taste. Saute mushrooms until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside under tin foil to keep warm. Add Arborio rice to same pot and stir to coat with oil. Once coated and lightly browned, add wine to the rice and stir until it is absorbed. Then, 1/2 cup at a time, ladle the chicken broth into the rice and stir until absorbed. Make sure all liquid is absorbed in the rice before adding another ladle-full. Keep doing this until almost all the broth has been used. Add the mushrooms back into the rice and gently stir. After all the stock has been used, add the Parmesan and Gorgonzola cheese to the rice and stir until melted. The mixture should now look really creamy! Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Here are some photos of the process:

Sauteing the mushrooms -- Almost done..

Rice absorbing the oil, before the stock has been added..

About one ladle of stock added to the rice..

Stock fully absorbed.. ready to add another ladle-full to the pot..

All stock absorbed and cheeses and mushrooms added..

Finished product!

Yummmm! It's always fun to experiment with food, and risotto is a good one to try new things with! Hope you all had a nice long weekend! I'll be trying some new, and even easier recipes this week, so I'll keep you updated. And, if I ever finish it, I have a list of my favorite kitchen gadgets and tips to pass along, so stay tuned!

As a side note, please keep my family in your thoughts. My Grandma Marshall passed away last night after a struggle with cancer. I'll be in Michigan this weekend with my family and we appreciate any prayers that come our way.