There's nothing better than a bowl of risotto on a cold day (-22 C to be exact). It's filling and delicious and warms the body and the soul.
I made this over the weekend for a potluck. The recipe makes quite a bit, it's vegetarian (as long as you use vegetable broth), and you can make a lot of variations of the recipe.
The recipe is so good that I have to share it! So here it is, courtesy of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine:
Risotto with Peas & Zucchini
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth 3 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 large zucchini (1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, peeled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Heat broth and 2 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan over low heat; keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until zucchini is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer zucchini to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Raise heat to medium. Add rice; cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
3. Cook, adding 1 cup hot broth at a time (stir until almost all liquid is absorbed before adding more), until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.
4. Add zucchini and peas; cook until peas are bright green, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter and Parmesan. Serve, topped with more cheese.
Per serving: 347 calories; 7.9 grams fat; 10.7 grams protein; 52.2 grams carbohydrates; 3.1 grams fiber
The tulips are gorgeous! They are just beginning to open now and are revealing their dramatic centres. The colour brings a whole lot of cheer to my apartment.
And, at the risk of being the crazy woman who takes too many pictures of her cat, here is another photo of Millie. She flaked out in the most unusual place - precariously perched on a little end table with her head resting on the futon arm. The shot is dark because I turned off the flash so as not to wake her. Must leave sleeping kitties lie.
And then by 10am it had stopped, the sun came out, it was mild and the snow melted into slush.
For the last 5 years I've been in the habit of falling asleep before the plane even leaves the tarmac just to make the flight go by faster (and because that's the only thing you can do when you're sitting in the fetal position for almost 2 hours).
