Asparagus, Mushroom, & Shrimp Risotto

1.5 cups dry Arborio Rice
8 oz Baby Portobella Mushrooms, Chopped
2.5 Cups Chopped Fresh Asparagus
6 ounces cooked shrimp, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 Cup Finely chopped onion
3 Cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
4 cups homemade chicken or vegetable stock
Salt & Pepper to taste

The trick to risotto is to constantly stir the rice. You want to release the starches so it will have a creamy consistency. Once finished, the rice will have a slight crunch to it, like an al dente pasta- don't cook it until it turns to mush. Another thing is you may need a little less or a little more liquid. Just taste as you go along. Enjoy!

Warm stock in a pot on the stove. In a separate pot, add onion, mushrooms, and EVOO and saute on medium until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add butter, rice, and minced garlic. Saute until rice has a shiny appearance, about 5 minutes. Add one cup of chicken stock, reduce heat to somewhere between low and medium. You don't want to boil the rice. Continue stirring until all of the liquid is gone, adding one cup of stock at a time, when all of the liquid is absorbed by rice. After you add the last cup of stock to the rice, boil the asparagus in salted water, just until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and shrimp to the rice mixture once the last bit of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and toss together.

Serving Size: Makes 4 servings; 1.5 cups per serving