Rosemary Saffron Risotto with Goat Cheese

It's been awhile since my last post. Things have been really busy around here lately and I have been in and out of town. The exciting part is that Thanksgiving is coming up soon and I will be out of town again! One of my all time favorite holidays :) There is so much wonderful aspects of Thanksgiving that I love. The food is just awesome (I mean seriously, whoever thought of turkey and cranberry sauce together is a genius), and having any excuse to be with family is my kind of holiday.

As Thanksgiving gets closer and closer my need for good hearty food increases. Tonight, I decided to try my hand at some risotto. I always thought it was pretty hard to make (mostly because of all those cooking competition shows where the judges force them to make risotto and then tell them how horrible it is). It is actually surprisingly easy, maybe that is just because I am making it wrong or something...but comparing it to all the risottos I have had at restaurants and made by other people before, I think it turned out pretty much like those. I used flavors that are very hearty and remind me of this time of year (saffron actually reminds me of any time of year because persians tend to use it all year round..). This is a very filling dish, so save room in the fridge for left overs :) Also, I do not consume alcohol in any way, shape, or form (even cooking or baking with it), so you will notice my recipe lacks the traditional white wine part to it, if you feel like it is necessary go ahead and add it in, but to be honest mine turned out pretty delightful without it. :)

Rosemary Saffron Risotto with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 1/2 cups stock (chicken, vegetable, beef, any kind you want)
1 medium onion (chopped into small pieces)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil (any kind you like)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese
1 zucchini (chopped)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt (to taste)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp dried rosemary (chopped)
1/4 tsp saffron flakes (ground to a powder)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
extra goat cheese for crumbling on top

Directions:

In a medium pot boil the stock on high. Once it is boiled, turn it down to a simmer. In another medium sauce pan, melt the butter and oil together. Add in the onion and garlic and let simmer. Next add in the rice and coat rice with the butter/oil mixture (do not let the rice brown). Ladle in a scoop of broth and stir as the rice absorbs the broth. Keep doing this until the pot is empty of broth and the rice has become very starchy and creamy (stir constantly). Add in the saffron, rosemary, parsley, pepper, and salt as you are adding in the broth. Let the spices simmer together as the rice absorbs the broth. Next add in the two different cheeses and stir the risotto until all the cheese is melted and mixed into the rice (should resemble a nice yellow creamy risotto mixture...) (This all takes about 20 minutes)

In a separate pan on medium heat,  heat up 1 tsp oil and add in the chopped zucchini. Let the zucchini simmer for a little while and then add in the balsamic vinegar and let that coat the browned zucchini. Next add the zucchini into the risotto and stir. Transfer to a bowl and top with crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy!