Risotto is an Italian rice dish where you (typically) cook a short-grain rice very slowly over time, adding a ladle or two of stock at a time and continuing to cook, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs much of the liquid. You end up with a creamy rice that is packed with flavor, having absorbed the flavor of the stock and other ingredients. That is all well and good if you have the time, but THIS is the recipe for you if you don’t. It involves very little prep, very few ingredients, and, being meatless, is pretty easy on your wallet. Your kids will love this dish for its simple, comforting flavor.
Tip: if you’re like us and don’t drink wine but cook with it, buy a bottle and freeze the rest in ice cube trays. Measure how much liquid each compartment of your trays hold by filling a half cup of water and seeing how many compartments equal a half cup. Write that on your gallon freezer bag of wine cubes (for example, 3 compartments in our trays equals a half cup of liquid, so we write “ 3 cubes = ½ cup” on our bag of wine cubes so we don’t forget). Because it’s wine, the cubes won’t stay 100% frozen, but this method works fine. Most recipes call for “dry” wines, so we buy Chardonnay for white and Caberbet for red. We buy wines that are middle of the road in price; nothing dirt cheap and nothing over $15/bottle. Costco has good prices on wine, as does Trader Joe’s (unsponsored). If you aren’t comfortable buying wine for religious reasons, just omit it. Cooking wines are usually pretty acidic and salty and will add nothing to your dish – and may actually make it worse. As Julia Child once said, “If you do not have a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor wine can spoil a simple dish and utterly debase a noble one.”
Have your kids help you cut the broccoli and dump ingredients. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Broccoli has sulforaphane, which helps prevent arthritis.
- Onions provide your body with a flavonoid that can help prevent cancer.
- Cheddar cheese contains vitamin D, which helps keep your teeth strong.
A few facts about Italy and it’s people:
- You would never find pineapple on a pizza in Italy.
- There are two states in Italy, called San Marino and the Vatican City.
- Children usually live at home till they get married, sometimes through their 30’s.
Adapted from: Broccoli and Cheddar Oven Risotto
- 4 cups chicken STOCK
- 2 bunches broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 1¾ cups arborio rice
- ¼ cup dry white wine (chardonnay)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Bring the chicken broth to a low simmer in a saucepan. Toss the broccoli with the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the hot broth, ¾ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; bring to a boil. Cover and set on the bottom oven rack. Place the broccoli on the upper rack. Bake, stirring the rice and broccoli once halfway through cooking, until most of the liquid has been absorbed in the rice and the broccoli is tender, 20 to 25 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes).
- Remove the rice and broccoli from the oven. Add ¾ cup hot water, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese to the rice and stir until creamy (add a little more hot water to loosen, if necessary).Stir in the broccoli.
