Creamy Risotto
Serves 4
Cook time: about 41 minutes (make this recipe while preparing another dish to feel that time is spent well)
½ medium onion, minced finely
2 tbsp butter
1 cup Sweet Rice (Thai)*
4 cups water
3-4 chicken bouillon cubes, to taste**
¼ tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove minced)
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp lemon juice
½ cup chopped green onion, greens and whites
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp parsley leaves, chopped
Find a kitchen timer, you’ll need it for this recipe.
In large saucepan or nonstick wok, melt butter and gently sauté (sweat) the onions over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Add sweet rice, turn up the heat to medium, and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
While the rice is browning, bring the water and chicken bouillon cubes to a simmer in a separate saucepan**.
Add 1-½ cups of the hot broth to the browned rice and stir it in. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Set the timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the rice, which will be thick.
Stir in 1 more cup of the broth. Set the timer for 2 minutes. The liquid will soak in each time.
Then pour 1 more cup of broth in. Allow the rice to soak up the broth for approximately 2 minutes.
After this point, you'll probably have to stay in the kitchen and stir it every minute. Set the timer for 12 minutes to help gauge the passage of time, but don’t leave the saucepan to simmer alone.
Stirring constantly, add the remaining broth. When the timer ends, turn off the heat, but leave the wok on the burner. Stir in the garlic, pepper, lemon, green onion, mozzarella, and parsley. Serve hot.
*Thai Sweet Rice isn't sweet, really. It's a short grain rice that releases quite a bit of starch, making the liquid portion thick and creamy. It's often cooked with coconut, sweetened, and served with coconut.
** You can substitute the 4 cups of water with 4 cups of low sodium chicken stock.
