Risotto

This is another staple in our home. I know it sounds fancy and hard but it isn’t…

Arborio rice.  Look at the package to determine how much you want to eat.

              We eat about 3-4 cups of dry. (There are 5 of us and 3 keep growing up. I won’t mention how the other 2 of us are growing)

Bone broth – NOT stock. Bone broth is about the same price and has a ton of protein and other nutrients in it. Stock is just flavored water. I tend to use chicken because it’s mild. You need about 4 cups per cup of rice. 

Given the 4 cups of rice and 12 cups of liquid my family eats 16 cups of risotto…they are growing kids and leftovers are good for lunch or dinner two days later (god forbid we eat the same meal two nights in a row!).

Onion – 1 large cut into tiny pieces, you know so the kids can’t see the difference with the rice. Just to be clear onions are vegetables and count as a “hidden” food.

or

2 shallots – this is for traditional saffron risotto. What is the difference you ask? Well shallots have a milder flavor that doesn’t overpower the saffron. That’s all.

Other veggies:

~Yellow squash (2-3 depending on the size) – blended or tiny diced…it “hides” well with saffron and also doesn’t overpower it.

~Roasted red peppers and roasted garlic – I’ll do another post on how to roast these things. Cut ‘em up tiny.

Parmesan cheese – NOT the powder crap

White wine – I like sauvignon blanc for risotto.

Butter (1/2 stick)

Spices like saffron, turmeric, paprika. It depends on the veggies and your tastes.

Salt

Sauté onion (or shallot) in oil and some salt.

Once they are translucent and smell nice you can add other veggies till they also smell nice.

Add all of your rice.

You don’t add all your liquid at once. The idea is to watch the rice absorb the liquid until it is cooked. Start adding the bone broth just enough to keep things wet and stir often. Add more broth when the rice gets dry looking. Add in the spices and some salt.

You keep adding liquid and tasting until the rice is al-dente (which means you can bite though it but not so soft you don’t need teeth) add a cup or ½ bottle of wine, cheese and butter to taste, these are finishing flavors. Cook a bit more till the alcohol has cooked off (or add later and cook off less wine—the kids fall asleep faster with a bit of wine-y risotto). The wine, parmesan and butter are finishing touches and totally up to your tastes, just like the salt.

I tend to finish the bottle while cooking (I mean half went in the risotto). So I always get 2 or 3 more to have with dinner, yes I’m sharing the bottles mother… there is a reason this is a family staple. It also allows me to tell my husband I have to “cook” for the next hour (I’m stirring, tasting and drinking).

See notes on the wine choice. It isn’t just about being cheap.

Also because I’ve now added 1 onion, 1 pepper and a head of garlic (or 3 squash) I’ve almost got an equal ratio of rice to veggies…including the bone broth you’ve now got a one-pot-complete meal: veggies, protein, starch. Boom. Mom-win!

Finally, I’m sorry to all the “hidden veggie” recipes I used to deride pre-child. I now understand you on a level I previously could not. Parenting will do that.