Back to Cooking- Risotto with Portabella Mushrooms and Onions

Getting back to some cooking, I thought I'd try to make something I had never made before- Risotto. Sounds easy enough and while it is an interactive recipe (labor intensive with all the stirring and watching), it was fun to watch chemistry work through cooking at its best!

Chop a container of baby portabellos and one large white onion. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Add onions and mushrooms and stir until onions are softened, 3-5 minutes.





Stir in two cups of rice and a teaspoon of salt. Add three cups of broth (I used both chicken and vegetable broth) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat so that the contents simmer until the broth is absorbed, 8-10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and stir frequently until absorbed. Add additional broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring somewhere in between frequently and constantly until absorbed. Do this until the rice is creamy but still a little firm in the center. According to the recipe, this should have taken 30-45 minutes, but it took mine longer- just over an hour to reach the perfect consistency.

After adding third 1/2 cup of broth.

Close-up of the delicious creaminess!

When the risotto has cooked, you will know it- first of all, it has tripled in volume. The rice is cooked through but has not lost its firmness. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 or more grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm! This works for a main dish or a side dish. I just go ahead and make it a main dish- and it would make a good vegetarian main dish, too. So if you have been afraid to try risotto at home, don't be- it's easy, and all that stirring gives your arms a nice workout...and the eggs.