Never Made Risotto Before!

So, last night's dinner was a little different - I made dinner for my in-laws, The Young Master and The Little Princess. I had a small bit, as did Dear Husband - and the verdict was (almost) unanimous...But, before I get into that - Here's this week's recipe (from Cooking Light Complete Cookbook):


Monterey Jack, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto


1 3/4 c. water
2 (14-ounce) cans vegetable broth
2 tsp. olive oil
1 c. uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. thinly sliced green onions
3/4 c. (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
2 c. frozen whole-kernel corn
3/4 c. chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers


1. Combine water and broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep broth mixture warm over low heat.


2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, cumin, and, if desired, coriander; add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 c. broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of liquid is absorbed before adding the next portion (about 20 minutes total). Stir in green onions, cheese, hot sauce, corn, and roasted red bell peppers; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.


Yield: 4 Servings (1 c. each)


Changes to the recipe:


* I couldn't find the Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, so I used a pre-shredded mix of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.
* I did use the coriander - but all I had was whole, so I ground it up fresh in my spice grinder.
* I used close to the 1/2 tsp. hot sauce - about 5 or 6 good dashes into the bowl. I used Frank's hot sauce...
* My garlic cloves were HUGE. As always, I kind of figured that there is rarely such a thing as too much garlic.
* I ran out of veggie broth, and Dear Husband and I were getting ready to go out to dinner for a rare date), so I replaced the rest with chicken broth.


The Verdict:


It received rave reviews from everyone (except, of course, The Little Princess). Dear Husband said he would absolutely eat it again, mother-in-law said it was delicious, sister-in-law quite liked it...most importantly, Young Master really like it and even said it tasted kind of like tacos. I really, really liked the flavor, though I would probably add just a smidge more hot sauce if I couldn't find the jalapeno cheese next time. I would certainly like to make it again, though I had never made risotto before and had NO idea the amount of heat and stirring :)  But the flavor was delicious enough that it is well worth making it in the future.


Since Dear Husband and I went out to eat, I was *very* excited to see that there were left-overs from dinner...I know what I'm having for lunch today! Oh, and don't forget to check out www.enviromom.com on Friday for more delicious recipes from the other members of the Meatless Supper Club!