Fall Vegetable Risotto with Blue Cheese

The worst part of traveling is that when you finally get home, you're kind of useless. Case in point, the flight back from Seattle was a red eye and arrived in Boston around 8am. Made it home by 9am, and though I wanted to sleep (it was 6am in Seattle), I knew I shouldn't (Darn you, jet lag). So I decided to make some comfort food for the rest of the week, and catch up on the premiere of Dancing with the Stars (go Zendaya!) And yes, my luggage is still sitting in a corner of my room untouched and still packed. I hope one day, someone will invent a robot who will unpack your bags for you. That would be heaven on earth.

The recipe is from my handy dandy Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh+Fast cookbook!

Recipe (makes 4 servings):
5 cups low-sodium chick or vegetable broth
10 ounces Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound (125 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup walnut pieces
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

**I'm lactose intolerant/not a fan of blue cheese, so I omitted it when I made the dish. I know some people who find blue cheese too stinky, so using Cambozola (a hybrid cheese of Camembert and Gorgonzola) may help if you want to add cheese to the dish**

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until bright green and almost tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts to a bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to low.

 

2. In a heavy medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. 

 

3. Add about 3/4 cup of the broth, and adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles and is absorbed slowly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking, adding the liquid about 3/4 cup at a time and stirring frequently, until the rice is just tender but slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Mix in the Brussels sprouts, blue cheese, and a generous amount of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. Spoon the risotto into warmed bowls or plates, sprinkle with walnuts, and serve right away.

Alteration #1: I used slivered blanched almonds instead of walnuts since I had them already lying around.