Déjà Risotto

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but Gourmet and Cooking Light both ran pretty similar recipes in this month’s issue(s): Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus (though Cooking Light did put a Greek spin on it with Feta). Since we had some leftover Asparagus and Risotto, I thought it was a sign we should try it out.

I par-boiled the Asparagus first then shocked them in an ice water bath. Then I added chicken stock to the “asparagus water” to use as the base of the risotto. My shrimp also took a while longer to cook than the recipe said they would (I thought the residual heat from the risotto would cook them through in 3 minutes, but it took closer to 8 or 9).

I roasted some Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic as a side. We had a little herb planter on our deck last summer, and were really surprised when the Chives, Oregano and Rosemary started growing back a few weeks ago. So I thought I’d be a green, “slow food,” organic farming foodie and use our Oregano in these (I also put our Chives in the risotto). I roasted them at 450 for 25-30 minutes (shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so) and they were really good!

PS – just want to thank all the commenters out there! Not sure if taking the blog private for a few weeks hurt “my traffic”, but I’m glad y’all have stuck with me. To all your lurkers, don’t be afraid to come out of the shadows and post your thoughts, I already know who most of you are!