Southwestern Risotto

creamy lemon / mushroom / avocado rice dish

30 mins, serves 2-3 (scales easily for more)

Risotto is a great vehicle for all sorts of flavors; this particular incarnation has a southwestern theme, with earthy flavors like mushroom, ground pepper, and avocado, balanced against the tangy flavor of fresh lemon juice.

P.S. If you think of risotto as a difficult or finicky dish, have a look at the attached link, because you're definitely missing out.

created: Saturday, March 10, 2007 (PST)

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Ingredients

Flavoring / Toppings:
1 fresh avocado (not too ripe)
1/2 cup fresh chopped mushrooms (I use crimini)
1 fresh lemon
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon (or cube) vegetable stock

Main risotto:
1/2 cup arborio (risotto) rice
2-3 cups water (usage will vary)
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil (usage will vary)

Directions

Chop the vegetables as desired; I recommend long thin slices, but dice also work fine.

Heat 1/8 cup olive oil until slightly sizzling, then turn heat to minimum. Add rice, and saute/stir for about one minute (this help infuse the rice with some olive oil flavor before the mixture becomes watery).

Sprinkle in mustard powder and ground pepper, and add about half a cup of water, along with the vegetable stock. Heat and stir until mixture is mostly creamy and not watery.

Squeeze in one half lemon, and if desired, another 1/8 cup olive oil (this will make the risotto a little heavier/creamier, at the expense of more calories/fat). Again, heat/stir until mixture is mostly creamy and not watery.

Test risotto for firmness / taste; if you're happy, you can take it out and serve. If not, add another half of lemon, and a bit more vegetable stock, and again heat/stir until the water has almost all evaporated.

Serve quickly; as the creamy fluid surrounding the risotto cools, it will thicken and lose some of its texture.