Risotto with Arugula, Mushrooms, and Gruyere

This round of the recipe swap was themed “Special Occasion.” I was honestly a little unsure about this one, as I am more of a baker than a cook and I was worried I would get a recipe that was far beyond something I could make. But I had no reason to worry; in fact, I got a recipe for risotto, which is something that I have wanted to make for ages! I love risotto but I have never made it myself. Now I had the chance and I was really excited to give this a try.

Now, I know that Mary Ellen has gotten my blog twice in the Blogger’s Choice recipe swaps and she isn’t really a baker. As I said, I am not that much of a cook but her blog has very easy to follow steps. The only thing I wasn’t sure about was what temperature to cook the risotto, so I just opted for medium and it came out just perfectly. The only change I made was using onion instead of a shallot. I forgot to pick that up at the store and the day before I had made a last-minute grocery store run for onions, so that’s what I went with. 

I was really happy with how this turned out! I think I cooked it just right and I liked the mushrooms and cheese. My husband said it was a keeper and asked what other sorts of variations I could make. I think that was success, indeed! Thanks to Sarah from A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting these swaps. I really enjoy trying new things.

Risotto with Arugula, Mushrooms, and Gruyere

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 mushrooms, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

4 cups warm chicken broth

2 handfuls arugula (about 1/2 a bag)

1/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat until melted. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir until coated, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir until the wine is absorbed.

Add broth, 1 ladle at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed, then add additional broth. It will take about 18 minutes to add/absorb all of the broth. Once you have used most of the broth, taste the rice to see if it is done. It will be tender but not mushy.

When you add the final ladle of broth, add the arugula and gruyere. Stir until the arugula wilts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Recipe from Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations