Yummy Risotto

I can't tell you how many times I go looking through my fridge trying to find something that sounds good to eat.  My stomach is really sensitive to what I eat, so some weeks I can eat a certain food and other weeks it's a no go.  This makes making things up on the spot happen more often than I'd like, but it's also taught me to listen to what my body needs.  Oh, there are times I want my body to need pizza or frozen yogurt, but that's not usually (or ever) the case.  So needless to say I indulge sometimes just to keep myself sane.  But back to the point... food, sensitive tummy and making it up on the spot!  This was one of those such occasions. 

Today was a semi stressful day, two little girls and a fabric store do that to you.  So for dinner all I wanted was some comfort food.  I remembered a pumpkin risotto recipe that a friend of mine shared with me, and I decided to tweak it and make it differently since you can't find pumpkins in April.  I'm so glad I did too, it was delicious and just what I needed!  

Avocado and sweet pea risotto

Ingredients:

1 avocado diced
¾ cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1 Tbs avocado oil
½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup Arborio Rice

1/2 cups vegetable broth

4 cups chicken broth that is very hot

1 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbs dried sage

Preparation:

 Preheat a large pan over medium heat; once hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter and the avocado oil to the hot pan to melt together. Add the chopped onion to the butter and oil then sweat until translucent, about 2 min. Once your onions are ready, stir in your Arborio rice until all of the grains are nicely coated in butter and oil, add the dried sage and seasonings; stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth to your rice and onions, and give a gentle stir; allow the broth to reduce until it’s almost absorbed, but not quite completely.  Next, begin adding the hot chicken stock to your rice mixture, about ½ cup to ¾ cup at a time. Stirring it gently to incorporate the broth and allowing the rice to slowly absorb the stock. You want the rice at a gentle simmer, not bubbling too harshly which will evaporate the broth too quickly. Repeat this process once the first portion of broth is mostly absorbed until the rice is soft and creamy, but not mushy—roughly 20-25 minutes or so.

To finish the risotto, add the chopped mushrooms before you add the last cup or so of broth.  Once that is absorbed, stir in your peas and cover for a few minutes until the peas are warmed through.  Now stir in your chopped up avocado and parmesan and serve!

Tuna fish (I use Trader Joes) would be a great addition if you wanted a meat in there.