Tasty Tuesday

Let me first start with PRESENTS!  I love presents!  The wonderful and amazing Marey at LMNOP sent me this beautiful embroidered towel!  Isn’t it fabulous?  What a surprise to get this in the mail. 

Thank you Marey!  I love it.

I had a ton of tomatoes and some fresh mozzarella cheese in the kitchen.  After pretty much overdosing on caprese salad this past week, I decided to mix it up a little, while still using these same ingredients.  I added tomatoes and cheese to my basic risotto.  To me, arborio rice is fascinating!  A food that makes its own sauce?!?!

Caprese Risotto

Ingredients
4 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable)
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ev olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine (I just use whatever is leftover in the fridge)
1 cup tomato sauce (I made mine, but jarred sauce will work just fine)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Put broth in a small saucepan and simmer.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter into olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add chopped garlic/shallot and sauté for a short time, stirring to keep garlic from browning.
4. Add rice to pan, stir into the butter/oil and sauté for about 2 minutes. Rice will begin to turn translucent. 
5. Add wine to pan and let it cook away, 1-2 minutes. (This is my favorite part!  It smells SO good.)  Be sure wine is at room temperature.  If it’s cold it will shock the rice and it may stop cooking.
6. Add the tomato sauce and a ladle or two of broth.  Continually stir while cooking over med to med/high heat.   The rice will absorb the liquid rather quickly.
7. Continue adding ladles of broth and stirring, when the previous liquid has been absorbed, over the next 18-20 minutes or so.
8.  When rice is done (creamy but still firm) turn off the heat.
9.  Stir in the chopped basil and parmesan cheese.
10.  Add the mozzarella cheese a little at a time and stir until it starts to melt. 

Oh my!  This recipe is amazing!  The fresh basil and little melted pockets of mozzarella cheese are delicious!  It was like a party in my mouth!