Veal, Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

A couple of weekends ago, my new best friend (and fellow twin parent!) Dennis, and his wonderful husband Wes, invited us and the kiddies to spend a weekend in their beautiful Connecticut home. While the days were filled with pushing babies in swings, diaper changing, toys and round the clock feeding, the nights were spent enjoying delicious wine, food and conversation. Lucky for everyone in attendance, Dennis is a trained chef and his veal, mushroom and asparagus risotto did not disappoint! While the rest of the men sat and chatted, we whipped together what was really the best risotto I have ever eaten. All in all, a wonderful and delicious weekend spent with great new friends!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

6 oz lean veal scallops, cut into thin strips

4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

10 asparagus tips

1/3 cup minced onion

3 tbsp fontina cheese, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup light cream

pinch of cinnamon

salt and pepper

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp unsalted butter

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the veal, mushrooms and asparagus and sautee for  5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste before setting aside.

 

In a second pot, bring the broth to a steady simmer. In your third and final pot, heat 2 tbsp of butter and the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sautee for 2 minutes until softened. Add the rice into the pot with onions and, using a wooden spoon, stir for one minute until all the grains are well coated. Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.

Begin adding the simmering broth to the pot of rice, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. Reserve 1/4 cup to use at the end.

After about 18 minutes when the rice is tender but still firm, add the reserved broth and veal, mushroom and asparagus mixture as well as the fontina, cream, cinnamon and parmesan. Stir vigorously to combine and serve immediately!

Here's a picture of what our final feast looked like. It was so amazing, I ended up eating two servings (even after proclaiming I don't eat carbs!)

Here's a pic of Dennis hard at work, slicing and dicing!