Summer's Risotto

What a weekend full of dinner events,
Some friends came over and make some ""A LOT"" of food on Friday,
The very next day I was still full from piles of meat and macaroni....
But no, there is no room for taking a break from food,
Because a pre-arranged Korean BBQ dinner has already been set on Saturday for a friend's move-away gathering,
Somehow....
I can see a circle of fluffy fat glowing around my waist..and thighs..
( > 口.< )""""""""""

These few days, when I open the fridge, all I see is boxes of food, meat, and some leftover ingredients from that Friday night cookout...
I've never been so "shocked" by looking at the fridge in my life,
I've got to do something to clean up this giant icy box,
Maybe a healthy summer's risotto help a wee bit.

Ingredients (feeds 2 to 3 people)?

1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice
3 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup of salmon flakes (freshly baked or store bought)
1/4 onion
1 small carrot
1 small green squash
1 small yellow squash
2 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil
Salt
Garnish (optional): 1 endive, parsley leaves

How?

Dice up the onion, carrot, green/yellow squash and set aside for later use.

For the chicken stock,
It's better if you bring it to a simmer before use,
However, I didn't want to wash another pot so I just left it in room temperature.

For the salmon flakes,
I got mine from a Japanese grocery store,
If you can't find it,
Simply sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides of the salmon fillet (skin on),
Roast it till fully cooked through,
Take the fish out, let it cool down a little bit,
Remove the skin and use a fork to make the fillet into flakes.

So all the preparation works are done,
Now put 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan and drizzle some olive oil,
Toss in chopped onions and sprinkle some salt,
Cook till the onions turned translucent, add the diced carrots,
Cook for about 30 seconds, add the remaining vegetables,
Sprinkle a little bit more salt and give it a quick stir,
The butter and olive oil should all be absorbed by the vegetables by now,
Before we toss in the rice, add 1 more tablespoon of butter into the mixture.

You can cook the veggies and the rice separately,
But I want my vegetables to be soft when the dish is done, that's why I stir fried them first and cooked with rice all together.
So toss in the rice, give them a quick stir,
Make sure every grain is coated with that lovely butter.

There's no secret in making risotto,
Just remember to give it a lot of attention during the process,
Add about 1/2 cup of stock at a time,
Give it a quick stir and just let it simmer till the juice are almost fully absorbed by the rice,
Once that happened, add another 1/2 cup of stock, repeat the steps till the rice are cooked "al dente."
You might need 1 more cup of stock if you prefer softer texture for the rice.

Add the salmon flakes when the rice is about 2/3 done,
By doing so, the flavor from the fish can permeate into the risotto mixture and won't turn into a mushy mess over time.
Taste it and see if more salt are needed.

There were some endives and parsley left in the fridge so might as well use them to make a pretty presentation for my risotto -

(so my food coma continues...)

Cindy's Rating: 8