Caprese Risotto

Once again, risotto proves amazing. The luscious, creamy rice this time was full of a fresh caprese salad - fresh, thick buffalo mozzarella, ripe cherry tomatoes, and luscious fresh basil. What else do you need? You can even sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar and olive oil if you like, but I chose to let the fresh ingredients stand on their own, creating a delectable meal.

The risotto was the star of the show, but I sauteed some macadamia nut crusted tilapia and baked up some spaghetti squash, tossed with diced tomatoes, to go along with the risotto.

Difficulty: medium
Cost: $29.51
Time: 40 min



Caprese Risotto

Ingredients:
4 c vegetable broth, low sodium
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c leek, sliced
1 c Arborio or other risotto rice
1/3 c white wine
1/4 c fat free half and half
1 tsp black pepper
1 c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c fresh basil, diced
5 oz fresh mozzarella, diced

If you've made risotto before, you should recognize these steps. Get your broth heated on a low setting - the warm broth will be absorbed best by the rice. Or, if you use bouillon cubes like I do, make those now.

Heat a large pan over medium heat high heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is hot, toss in the leeks. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring just often enough to keep from burning.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the rice. Saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the white wine. Stir nearly the entire time, cooking until it's just about absorbed. Then add 1/2 cup of broth. Continue to stir nearly non-stop until it's just about absorbed. Continue, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until all of the broth is used up and the rice is creamy and thick.

When all of the broth is absorbed, pour in the half and half and black pepper. Stir to combine. As soon as it is combined, remove the pan from the heat. Add the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Stir until everything is well mixed and the mozzarella is melting from the heat of the rice. Serve immediately.