Chicken-y Mushroom Risotto

On Friday, I tried cooking real risotto for the first time (not the quick 'N easy version I did earlier). While there are a few things I'll change next time, it turned out quite nicely.

2 cups Arborio rice
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
Some mushrooms
Some olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
4 cans of Campbell's condensed chicken broth.
Shredded Parmesan cheese (I'm not sure how much; I just used up the cheese that I had -- probably 3/4 of a cup or so.)

1. Cook the chopped onion and mushrooms in some olive oil, until caramelized.
2. Heat chicken broth until warm, while completely not realizing that you are supposed to dilute condensed chicken broth with an equal amount of water.
3. Remove onion and mushroom and set aside.
4. Cook rice in the leftover olive oil over medium heat, for about 20 minutes.
5. First, add wine and then gradually add chicken broth about a cup at a time, while stirring.
6. Add mushroom and onion and stir at the very end.
7. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan Cheese.
8. Sit risotto aside for five minutes. After all the stirring, you can sit aside for five minutes too, if you'd like.

It was very good, though I wondered why I couldn't taste the wine. That's probably because the undiluted chicken broth completely overwhelmed the wine. The chicken flavor was a bit strong, but I didn't really mind. Next time, I'll add water to the broth.

Also, my mushroom-rice ratio was a bit low. I used only about half a container, not realizing that the rice would expand when cooked. Next time, more mushrooms and possibly even some chicken sausage.

Strangely, my back was actually a little sore after cooking this. It was hard work stirring for twenty minutes. Apparently, my stirring muscles are just a little out of practice. My eating muscles are doing just fine, though.

Quick 'N Easy Risotto

Well, since I'm a member of this here blog, and since I cooked something I've never cooked before, I figured I would post something. I've never made risotto before, and I think it turned out all right. I got the recipe off the lid of a Parmesan cheese container, which really is one step above using a recipe off the back of a Ritz cracker box. Admittedly, it was slightly bland. I had hoped the wine would give it more of a kick, but I still enjoyed it.

Here's the recipe, not so much because you'll want to try it, but this way I can throw out the lid.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped mushroom
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk

Heat oil on medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in rice, water, and wine. Bring to boil, cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese and milk. Serve with remaining cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings, though I pretty much ate half of it tonight. I'm not sure if you're supposed to have risotto as the main course, but that's how things turned out tonight.