What to do with leftover Risotto

A few nights ago I made Risotto to go with some TriTip that I barbecued. Of course I made more risotto then my family could eat, so last night I decided to reuse what was left over and create a "new" meal.

First of all lets go over what Risotto is and the best way to prepare this wonderful and easy dish.

Risotto is an Italian rice that you slow cook over low heat.

The following Risotto Recipe takes about 30 minutes to cook and will serve four with leftovers (if you want more leftovers double the recipe).

To make a basic Risotto you will need:

1 cup of Arborio rice (I usually buy my Arborio at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup of chopped onion (I usually use a sweet yellow onion, but you can use any onion)
1 clove of crushed garlic (optional)
Olive Oil (just enough to coat the bottom of your sauce pot)
4 cups of chicken or vegitable stock or broth (I use "Better than Boullian" which is a chicken base that you can usually find at your grocery store in the soup section)
Butter (optional, I usually leave this out as it adds too many calories and fat)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Freshly shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat your broth on the stove over low heat, cover and keep on low. In another sauce pan heat your olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and softened. Add the rice and continue sauting until the rice begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic (be careful to not "brown" the garlic as it will turn bitter), salt and pepper and saute for another minute.

Add one or two ladles of the stock (about one cup, my ladle holds about 3/4 of a cup of liquid so I use a full ladle and then a partial ladle full) and stir until the rice absorbs all of the stock. Continue with this process until you have used all of the stock and the rice is soft and creamy. You don't have to stand over the stove and stir, but you do need to make sure to stir every so often.

Add your grated/shredded Parmesan and serve immediately.

Goes well with chicken or beef.

You can add all sorts of things to this recipe, and in a later post I will offer some variations to this basic Risotto recipe.

I used my left over Risotto with some other odds and ends I had in the refrigerator vegetable bin. I had one medium zucchini, about a fourth of a bag of baby spinach leaves, a red bell pepper (which needed to be used asap), a large yellow onion, garlic and some of the "Better then broth.". In the freezer I had some chicken apple gouda sausage (bought at Costco and had three packages of seven sausages for a total of 21 sausages), and in the pantry I had a large can of diced tomatoes and diced green chilies. (mmmm...that reminds me of another topic we should cover later: what to keep on hand in your pantry).

Here is the recipe I used last night (and it was a "hit" with the family). While this is a "left over" recipe you could also make this as a "first run." : )

Left Over Risotto with Sausage

Serves four (at least) and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

2 cups (or whatever you have left over) of cooked Risotto, room temperature
1/2 of a large onion chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium chopped zucchini
1 to 2 cups baby spinach leaves (washed)
1 crushed garlic clove
1 4 oz can of chopped green chilies
1 cup of chicken (or vegetable) stock, heated
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
7 sausages, thinly sliced (I used the Amy's Chicken Apple gouda sausages which have about 5 grams of fat
each, use whatever you have on hand)
Dried Basil (to taste, I used about a teaspoon or so)
Dried Oregano (same as with the basil)
Olive Oil (enough to just cover the bottom of the pan).
Salt and pepper

In a medium to large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the sausage, saute for about five minutes and add the onion and bell pepper, stir and cook until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add the chopped zucchini and continue stirring and cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the green chilies, spinach and garlic, cook for another minute and add salt, pepper, basil and oregano (if you are using dried basil and oregano make sure to measure into the palm of your hand and "crush" by rubbing your hands together over the pot, this releases more flavor from the dried herbs. If you have fresh basil and oregano use slightly less as the fresh herbs have more flavor).

Add the can of diced tomatoes, stir and then add the left over Risotto, stir and add the chicken or vegetable stock. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes and add the grated Parmesan right before you serve. Make sure to stir frequently so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

What I liked about this recipe is that I was able to "sneak" in a variety of vegetables and keep the fat content low.

You can serve this dish with a nice green salad and garlic bread.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you cook this dish and make modifications, please post your changes in the comments. Also, please let me know how you liked the recipe.