Mushroom Risotto

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In honor of my 5 year wedding anniversary this week I am sharing the first dish I made for my husband, mushroom risotto.

A Peek Into My World…

Things are moving right along my way.  I am so excited to be working on a photography studio for myself!  We are still house hunting, so in the meantime, we are converting our office to a multi-purpose office/studio.  Tight quarters to say the least, but for now, until we find the right house, it will be nice to have somewhere to work.  Prior to my blog I really had no idea how much setup was involved in taking photographs.  It is crazy labor intensive too.  With Fall here and Winter on its way, I need to secure a place where I can set up artificial lighting and shoot these photos.

In other news, my five year wedding anniversary is October 6th.  My husband and I were married on a sailboat in the waters off of Oak Island, NC.  We got so lucky, it was a gorgeous day!  I know this year he has set up a babysitter and made plans, but I have no idea what we are doing.  I am so excited!  Not just because it’s my anniversary, but date night just doesn’t happen as much with hectic schedules.

My poor son is sick again.  Or should I say still?  Impacted sinuses.  BOO!  Poor kids face is puffy and swollen and he is having to breathe so heavily out of his mouth, it’s sad.  We were prescribed some new allergy meds and directions from the doctor today so hopefully, this will be cleared up soon.  It’s never fun to see your kids sick and it’s scary as you-know-what when they say “mommy, I can’t get enough air” :(.  Although, the fact he could say it meant we were in dire straits.  But, a trip to the doctor is certainly in order.

So, What is Risotto Exactly?

It is a short grain rice that is super popular in Italy.  Risotto is one of my all-time favorites.   Any way you make it, I’ll eat it!  Much to my dismay, it is a little laborious to make.  Not difficult, mind you, just time-consuming.  Be ready to stir!  The almost constant stirring helps to develop the starch and creates the creamy texture risotto is known for.  Guys, it is worth the time and stirring!  Just grab your iPad and put on a show, lol!  Seriously, I’ve been known to do that.  When else do I get to catch up on The Last Ship or Grey’s?  One word, Multi-task!

Risotto is hardy enough to be the main course or can easily be a side dish along with a protein.  You can add a protein to the risotto and it is one of the yummiest meals you will ever encounter!  I promise.  Next time you are out and risotto is on the menu, order it!  Risotto Milanese is delicious and is common at a lot of Italian restaurants.

How to Prep This Mushroom Risotto

First, as always, gather up your ingredients.  Wash your mushrooms and other produce carefully.   Dice your onion and mushrooms.Set aside.  Mince your garlic.  Set aside.  Grate your parm with the microplane and also, set it aside.  Seeing the pattern here?  LOL.  Prepping everything ahead of time makes a dish like this much easier.  You will need to be present and stirring once the cooking process has begun.

Time to Cook the Mushroom Risotto!

OK, it’s time to begin cooking the mushroom risotto!  In a deep saute pan melt the butter.  Add the rice.  “Toast” the rice being sure that each grain is evenly coated with the butter.  Saute, being careful to not burn the rice.  A nice golden brown will do the trick.  Add the onions and mushrooms.  Saute until the onions are translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  This will take around 5 minutes or so.  Add 1 cup of the stock/broth and stir.  Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.  Stir.

Keep stirring, and add the herbs.  Once the stock/broth has been absorbed, add another cup.  Continue stirring and adding the remaining stock as the rice absorbs the stock/broth that has been previously added.  By continuously stirring you are helping to develop the starches creating the delicious and creamy texture risotto is known and loved for.

Once all of the stock/broth has been added and the texture is nice and creamy, do a taste test.  Just to make sure the rice is thoroughly cooked.  If not, add a bit more stock. And stir.  Add parmesan.  Mix.  Allow the risotto to cool and serve as a side dish or an amazing and hearty meal on its own.

Since this is for my anniversary, I chose to up my presentation a bit and I used a round mold for my risotto.  To garnish I used a parmesan crisp and some fresh rosemary.  I also added some rose petals.  Nostalgic and delicious!  I hope you adore this mushroom risotto as much as we do!

Other Fall comfort food recipes you might like:

Pumpkin Spice Frosted Brownies

Homemade Chicken Soup

Chili

Print Recipe

Mushroom Risotto

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!

Course

Main Dish, sides

Cuisine

comfort food, gluten free, Italian

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

35-40 minutes

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 onion diced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms diced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup fresh parm grated with microplane
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• TT salt and pepper

Course Main Dish, sides Cuisine comfort food, gluten free, Italian Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 35-40 minutes Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 cup arborio rice 1/2 onion diced 8 oz baby bella mushrooms diced 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1/2 cup fresh parm grated with microplane 2 cloves garlic minced 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 sprig fresh rosemary TT salt and pepper

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Wash the mushrooms and other produce carefully
3. Dice the onion and mushrooms
4. Set aside
5. Mince the garlic
6. Set aside
7. Grate your parmesean with the microplane
8. Set it aside
9. In a deep saute pan melt the butter
10. Add the rice
11. "Toast" the rice....Simply coat the rice with the melted butter and saute in pan until golden brown
12. Add the onions and mushrooms
13. Saute until the onions are translucent
14. Season with salt and pepper
15. Add 1 cup of the stock and stir
16. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir.
17. Keep stirring, and add the herbs
18. Once the stock has been absorbed, add another cup
19. Check that the rice is completely cooked. If not, add 1 more cup of stock and stir
20. Continue stirring and adding the remaining stock as the rice absorbs the stock that has been previously added
21. Add parmesean and mix completely
22. Season with salt and pepper
23. Serve. Garnish with parmesean crisp and fresh rosemary.