As the weather cools and midterms come into full swing, nothing can be more satisfying than a fresh, warm meal to revitalize both the mind and the soul. Enter a delicious heaping of mushroom risotto.
Cooking risotto may take a little time, but its preparation is a great excuse to take a break from studying and de-freeze by a warm stove. This risotto recipe is a spin from the classic traditional Italian method, resulting in an easy-to-make meal and adding a little luxury to your everyday routine.
Risotto can be enjoyed fresh, yet it also stores well, making it a phenomenal leftover. Once made, you can mold this recipe to your liking, adding more or less of any ingredient until you get the flavor just right.
 
Recipe:
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided 1&1/2 cups Arborio rice
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. white mushrooms (or any other kind of mushroom)
Thinly sliced 1 large white onion
Diced 3 sticks of celery
Chopped 4 cloves of garlic chopped finely
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
 
Directions:

1. In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.
2. In a separate, larger saucepan, warm three tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, cook until aromatic then add onions. Cook onions until translucent then add celery. Cook until celery begins to soften, then add mushrooms. Cook for three minutes. Once cooked, remove saucepan from heat and empty into a bowl. Set aside.
3. In the emptied saucepan, add one tablespoon olive oil. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, for about two minutes or until rice has a nutty, earthy aroma. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, add a half cup broth to the rice and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth a half cup at a time with a ladle, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Remove rice from heat and stir in the onion-celery-mushroom mixture along with butter and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste

(Recipe adapted from Gourmet Mushroom Risotto recipe from allrecipes.com)