Mushroom and Shrimp Risotto

So we just got home from a day out. Where we totally blew our calorie counts. So I needed a meal that was filling, tasty, and low on calories. And quick. We were hungry.  Solution? RISOTTO!!! Added bonus? SHRIMP!!! I was so hungry I forgot to grab my camera for the final pic, so this is from my phone. (Yeah sorry about that but this fat chick was starving, at least I remembered a pic though.)

J (the future husband to be ((yay!))) declared it a success. And it included one of his favorite foods (mushrooms) cut in small enough bites that it added flavor but didn't gross me out (note: mushrooms are NOT my favorite food, but we have to compromise.) Stay tuned for the ravioli I make from the rest of the mushrooms. And we really are trying to eat healthier and incorporate more foods into out diet. Plus it was getting cold and ready to snow and it was just warm creamy goodness all the way around.

Risotto isn't that difficult to make, and it is an under 30 minute meal. AND I can get arborio rice even in my po-dunk little town.  And its made with ingredients that we keep on hand. I've made a bunch of difference flavors from it but I always start with the base of olive oil, onion/shallot, and garlic. Any extra cheese, veggies, meats, etc are just a bonus in flavor. I use stock not broth when I make mine, I just think it makes it taste better. But thats me. 

So here's the grocery list:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves (diced/minced/crushed)

1 shallot (minced/diced)

1 c. Arborio Rice

1/3 c. Parmesan Cheese

3-4 c. Chicken Stock (it goes faster if its heated. I was lazy and didn't. Still works. Just saying....)

1 c. Mushrooms (minced) (i cheated and put them in the food processor. Again, I'm lazy. Sue me.)

16 large shrimp (technically 4 shrimp per person, add more if you're hungry. Who am I to judge)

Salt and Pepper to taste ( I really limit the salt for J, and its in the stock. Its still yum)

This recipe makes 4 servings. Enough for dinner and lunch the next day! So here it is. Enjoy!

Step 1: Add the Oil, garlic and onion to a pan on medium heat and sweat them out for a bit. We want all that flavor to soak into the oil.

Step 2: Add the rice, uncooked to the oil. This toasts up the rice and adds a nice flavor. Stir it constantly for about 3 mins to cover all your bases.

Step 3: Add some chicken stock a little at a time. I add about 2/3 c at a time and then let it simmer uncovered.  I let it thicken up for about 3-5 mins before adding more. I can tell when its thick enough because I run my spoon through it and the liquid doesn't fill the trail of the spoon immediately (yeah real technical :-( sorry)

Step 4: While that is going on put your mushrooms into the food processor and mince away to get them teeny tiny (if you actually like mushrooms you can leave them larger.) After about the 2nd or 3rd addition of chicken stock when the rice was starting to soften up I added the minced mushrooms to the rice mix and then continued with adding my stock as before. 

Step 5: Once you've added about 3 c. of stock and its reached a thickened point, take a spoon and try a small bite. If the rice is tender CONGRATS you can move on. If its not keep adding until its tender. Sorry I have no scientific way to measure this.

Step 6: Once its tender Lets add some cheese and shrimp. The cheese will melt in and add a nice touch of flavor and the shrimp will cook up quick on the heat. 

And thats it. When the Shrimp is nice and pink, plate it up and serve it up! And most importantly bask in the fact you made a scrumptious and healthy meal in under 30 minutes.