Chicken Risotto
It may surprise you how diverse my idea of comfort foods range! From a Hungarian dish passed down from my grandma to an easy Italian risotto, I sure do love my international comfort foods! What do you think of risotto? Have you heard of it? Do you consider it a comfort food? Well, one thing is for sure, the Italians do! This dish is very popular in restaurants and the great thing is that it comes in all sorts of varieties ranging from seafood to vegetables. You have to try it the next time you go out to eat! You never know, you might be inspired to come up with your own favorite risotto dish. One of my favorite risottos I have had was from a restaurant in my hometown Roswell. It was a seafood risotto – it was loaded with scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels, and had loads of flavor. All of my favorite things! (as you can tell I love a wide range of food) Unfortunately, they took it off the menu. It was so disappointing but, hey, maybe after this blog, they will bring it back! While Italian does not run in my blood, my husband swears there are traces because I could eat Italian food every day. I love Italian food. In case you did not know, risotto is an Italian rice. It takes about twenty minutes of constant stirring while adding warm broth every few minutes. While the rice is cooking in the broth, it takes on a creamy consistency because of the starches coming out. When it is almost done, add cheese, butter, and a touch of lemon. Delicious! A few years back, I wanted to give this Italian dish a try, so I came up with my own version, Chicken Risotto. It has since become one of my family’s favorite comfort foods. I like it with roasted tomatoes, peas, and store bought rotisserie chicken. I use the store bought rotisserie chicken because in my busy life, the already cooked chicken is a time saver. I roast tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper until they are soft and blistered. While that is cooking in the oven, I start the risotto. When I am almost to the end of the cooking time, I add the cut up chicken, frozen peas, cheese, butter, and fresh lemon. You can also add the zest of the lemon if you like. I then add the roasted tomatoes with some of the juice and oil from the tomatoes. The dish is colorful, creamy, and buttery. I have taught both my girls to make it and now as grown-ups cooking their own meals, they love how easy it is to bring the taste of home into their kitchen. I hope that one day they pass it down to their children!
For the Roasted Tomatoes
5 Roma Tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut tomatoes lengthwise, and then cut again lengthwise to make thin wedges. In a medium sized bowl, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes well. Generously salt and pepper the tomatoes. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake on 400° for 20 minutes until soft and blistered. Remove from oven and set aside, cool, and rustically chop the tomatoes.
For the Risotto:
1 Rotisserie Chicken, you will be using half the chopped chicken. Reserve the rest for something else.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. butter
½ of a small onion chopped
1½ cups Arborio or risotto rice
¼ cup white wine
5 cups chicken broth, warmed
½ cup frozen peas
Roasted tomatoes (see above)
Juice from a ¼ of a lemon
Dash of pepper to taste
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Skin, debone, and chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside. Heat the olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the risotto rice and the wine and sauté for 2 more minutes over medium high heat. Add chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, to the rice. Stir and let the rice absorb the broth; about 2 to 3 minutes. Continue adding 1 cup at time to the rice, stirring quite often, until the broth is gone, about 20 minutes. Turn heat down to medium low to medium heat. Add the frozen peas, roasted tomatoes, chicken, and lemon juice. Cook for 3 more minutes or until heated through. Add the pepper, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and the parmesan cheese. If needed, add salt and pepper to taste. The risotto should be loose with a little broth, not dry. If too dry, add more broth to get a creamy consistency.
Chicken Risotto
Ingredients
- 5 Roma Tomatoes
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken, you will be using half the chopped chicken. Reserve the rest for something else.
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- ½ of a small onion, chopped
- 1½ cups Arborio or risotto rice
- ¼ cup white wine
- 5 cups chicken broth, warmed
- ½ cup frozen peas
- Roasted tomatoes (see above)
- Juice from a ¼ of a lemon
- Dash of pepper to taste
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Wash and dry the tomatoes.
- Cut tomatoes lengthwise, and then cut again lengthwise to make thin wedges.
- In a medium sized bowl, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes well.
- Generously salt and pepper the tomatoes.
- Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake on 400° for 20 minutes until soft and blistered.
- Remove from oven and set aside, cool, and rustically chop the tomatoes.
- Skin, debone, and chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter, and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the risotto rice and the wine and sauté for 2 more minutes over medium high heat.
- Add chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, to the rice. Stir and let the rice absorb the broth; about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Continue adding 1 cup at time to the rice, stirring quite often, until the broth is gone, about 20 minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium low to medium heat. Add the frozen peas, roasted tomatoes, chicken, and lemon juice.
- Cook for 3 more minutes or until heated through.
- Add the pepper, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and the parmesan cheese.
- If needed, add salt and pepper to taste. The risotto should be loose with a little broth, not dry. If too dry, add more broth to get a creamy consistency.