Tag Archives: risotto

Sausage and Spinach Risotto

It snowed in the Philadelphia region this past weekend and it was icy, gray, and cold.  Saturday was the kind of day where you didn’t want to go outside but stay curled up on the couch with a warm bowl of something and a cozy blanket.  I wanted something a little more stick-to-your-ribs and comforting than soup so I decided to make Sausage and Spinach Risotto.

This risotto is made with arborio rice, mushrooms, spinach, and sausage and cooked slowly until creamy and dreamy.  (I used Thin ‘N Trim’s Spinach & Red Onion Chicken Sausage but I bet sweet turkey or pork sausage would be good here too.)  I messed up making this and left the mushrooms in the pan the whole time (the recipe says to cook them, set them aside, and add in at the end) but it turned out fine.  I love the salty addition of the cheese at the end too so don’t leave that off or you might need to add in some salt.  As I’ve mentioned before, I love risotto and don’t mind that it takes time and patience to make.  It was exactly what I wanted while the sleet fell against my windows and I stayed nice and warm inside.

The ingredients:

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a small pan and keep on low heat.  Add oil to another pan and cook mushrooms and salt over medium-high heat until browned (about 8 minutes).   Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.

Add sausage until browned.  Then add shallots and garlic, cooking 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to medium and add rice, cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in wine, and cook until liquid is nearly absorbed.  (Ahh, fragrant!)  Stir in 1 cup of broth mixture and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly.  Continue adding remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until each portion of broth mixture is completely absorbed.  Stir constantly.

Once all of the broth has been absorbed, remove the pan from the heat and add mushrooms and spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Serve topped with cheese.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Pre-cooked chicken sausage for sweet sausage
  • Shaved parmesan cheese for Romano cheese

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone

Last week, I was in San Diego for a work conference and had dinner one evening with a group of people at a restaurant called Searsucker.  Because this restaurant has a lot of meat dishes and I’m incredibly picky when it comes to meat, I settled on a very delicious dish of barley risotto with mushrooms and manchego.  This dish reminded me that I had a recipe for Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone tucked away in my recipe book that I needed to make soon.  Of course, food made at home is generally never as good as in a restaurant but this one comes pretty darn close.  Arborio rice is cooked with garlic, shallot, and white wine (I used chardonnay) before being simmered in a mushroom broth and topped with mascarpone cheese.  I have to admit, I’m not the biggest mushroom lover (it’s a texture thing) but I like the flavor of mushrooms.  Dried porcini mushrooms look downright nasty but they provide a ton of flavor for the broth.  This recipe calls for beef broth but I used chicken broth instead and it worked out fine.  I’m sure beef broth provides an added depth to the dish so I’d say stick with it if you like it.  As I’ve mentioned before, risotto can’t be rushed and is a slow process so take your time.  This comforting dish is worth it.

If you like this, check out Risotto Primavera.

The ingredients:

Reconstitute the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes.  Drain the mushrooms, reserving the mushroom water.  Combine 1 1/2 cups of the liquid with chicken (or beef) broth and simmer in a small saucepan.  Chop mushrooms and set aside.

In a large saucepan, sauté rice, garlic, and shallot for 5 minutes.  Add in the white wine and cook until it evaporates.

Slowly add in the warm broth mixture in small portions, letting each portion absorb completely before adding the next portion.  Stir frequently to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once all broth has been completely absorbed, add in chopped mushrooms, parmesan cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine until cheese melts.

Top with mascarpone cheese and serve.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Chicken broth for beef broth

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Risotto Primavera

I could eat risotto everyday.  If you like risotto too, this Risotto Primavera is a delicious, creamy (and crunchy) dish which mixes arborio rice with asparagus, peas and cherry tomatoes.  This dish can easily be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.  Just take your time with it.  No matter how much you might want to, don’t rush it.  It’s a slow and patient process that results in a warm and comforting dish that you won’t mind eating even if it’s summertime.   

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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