The farm box was back in full force this week and one of the things we got which I had been waiting and waiting for was arugula! This was the most peppery arugula I have ever experienced - it was amazing! All that flavor from a leaf. I had made risotto and topped it with arugula and salmon before so I knew the combo was delicious. Although the risotto I made that time was from a box : (. We also got this massive zuccini in the box, so it was settled. Zucchini risotto topped with arugula and salmon. Not just your run-of-the-mill salmon either.....cedar plank salmon. OH yeah. Lots of experimenting going on. I hadn't gotten a box in awhile so I think I was in the mood to really COOK.
Here is the finished product:
I mean come on, so pretty!
I will walk you through how I made the risotto, because it's such a versatile recipe and you can use the basic steps and then throw whatever veggies, meats or spices you want in it.
These are the ingredients I started with:
I told you that zucchini was massive!
So here's what you need to make zucchini risotto:
- 4 c. chicken stock
- 1 large or 2-3 small zucchini/squashes
- 1 onion (I used half an onion and 2 green onions I had left over)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1 1/2 c. arborio rice
- 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
So you can get creative with this, like I said. I have made risotto with mushrooms, chicken, spinach you name it, it will probably be good! But also with the aromatics. As you can see I had half a white onion and a few green onions just left over, so I decided to use those up. This is not a science! I am all about using up what you already have. If you have a shallot - use that! If you just hate hate hate onion flavor, leave it out! I don't even think the original risotto recipe called for garlic!! I mean REALLY?! Not ok.
So here's how you do it:
Start by simmering all 4 cups of chicken broth on the stove in a small pot. Just let that warm up while you're doing everything else and stir it every once in awhile to make sure it's warming evenly.
Put 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large pot and let it get hot (med-high heat). Add in bite-sized zucchini pieces and sautee until browned. Set cooked zucchini aside.
Here is what mine looked like:
Put 1 more tbsp. of olive oil and 2 tbsp. of butter into same pot you just used for zucchini. Once the butter is melted add in onion and garlic and let it get soft, about 3 minutes (this is where THE SMELL starts happening). Add in the arborio rice, stir it in with the oil, butter, onion and garlic and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add in the white wine, cook 2 more mintues.
Heaven:
Turn the heat down to low-med and over the next 18 minutes add in your warmed chicken broth one ladle at a time. Wait until the liquid is pretty much absorbed before adding in another ladle. I like to stir a LOT during this time, because I get paranoid that the rice will start sticking to the bottom (ew) and it's easier to tell how thick it's getting when you have a spoon in it. The rice will start absorbing all the broth and getting super puffy!
Also, here is what was going on outside while I was inside doing my thing with the risotto:
Look at that!!! By the way, the cedar plank from the grocery store had a recipe and instructions on it that we used, that's why I'm not giving you the recipe here.
So now you've used up all the chicken broth and your risotto is thick, puffy and creamy. Add the zucchini back in along with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and a small amount of lemon zest if you wish. And you're done!
It should look like this:
I highly recommend eating it with some kind of fish as well as arugula. It's crazy how the combination of those three things just bring out the best in each other.
So there you go! I hope I've inspired someone to make risotto because it's getting a little cooler out there and this is the perfect cozy, fall dish!
P.S. another one of the best smells in the world : ) ...
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