Mushroom + Asparagus Risotto

I openly admit, cooking with rice is not a strength, so in challenging myself with a new dish why not explore it a bit? In a joint dinner party effort my friends and I decided on a Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto, mostly for how delicious it sounded! Cooking up the crimini mushrooms was the easy part. Cooking the rice on the other hand left a few learned lessons: rinse the rice before use, cover between stirring to facilitate absorption, and add butter at the end for a satisfying buttery finish. The final flavor was a combination of spiced garlic, butter, and wine subtlety with the mushrooms and asparagus providing texture abound. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

Prep Time: 45min - 1hr

Servings: ~4 Cups

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
12oz Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
6 Asparagus Spears, chopped to 1"
2 Cups Brown Rice, rinsed, uncooked
1 Cup White Wine
7 Cups Chicken Broth, warm
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter, with 2 cloves garlic. Toss in mushrooms until lightly cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, for taste. Set Aside.

In a larger saucepan or pot, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil with 2 cloves garlic and asparagus until softened on medium-high. Add the brown rice, stirring until fully coated with the oil. Pour in the wine and stir until almost evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the broth, 1 cup at a time, cooking until it absorbs. Cover to cook, stirring occasionally when adding more broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, for taste. When the final cup of broth is added, combine the mushrooms into the rice mixture along with remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Risotto will come out with a creamy consistency.

Note - to amp up the creamy consistency, add a grated cheese at the end before serving!