Friday, June 20, 2008

Lemon Risotto with Asparagus

I have so very very much fallen in love with risotto! I know I should stop because it can't be the healthiest side, but I can't resist. It is sooooo good...

Last night I wanted to make something to go along with the grilled chicken, and this recipe for Lemon Risotto with Asparagus from Cooking Light seemed perfect!

It seemed like an awful lot of broth, but I used every drop. Next time I will probably use a combination of broth and water just cut back a little on the sodium. Overall, however, it was fantastic! Ryan pretty much only ate that... minus the asparagus. Hee hee! And I have to confess that my risotto-to-chicken ratio was more than a little unbalanced. :)


(It's a lame picture of my leftovers because I accidentally deleted the real shot!)

Ingredients:
  • 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 cups (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus (about 1 pound)
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Bring broth to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and rind; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 3 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
Add 3 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Stir in asparagus. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese and juice. Sprinkle with thyme.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)
CALORIES 307 (14% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 154mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.2g; SODIUM 532mg; PROTEIN 11.7g; FIBER 2.7g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2002

1 comment:

  1. Looks yummy! I used chicken boullion and water to make my liquid for risotto and it turned out great. Just boil one cube per cup of water on the stove and reduce to simmer. That also helps cut down on the sodium if you ever wanted to try a different method ;)

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