Tomato Corn Basil Risotto

I love fresh basil, and lucky for me I have it growing like a weed in my garden right now.  I've been enjoying delectable things like fresh caprese salads, homemade pesto and this tasty little treat... tomato corn basil risotto!

I love ordering risotto in restaurants... it always feels so "fancy" and paired with the fact that it seemed to be the #1 thing that got people kicked off, cursed at (or both) by Gordon Ramsey on Hell's Kitchen... well I just decided it was probably too hard to make myself. 

So if you've ever felt like I did... I'm here to assure you that you CAN make this, and you'll love it!  It's creamy, it's flavorful, it's fairly simple.. and albeit it's slightly more labor intensive than your average rice dish... it's worth it!!

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 1/3 cup of fresh or frozen sweet corn
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Start by combining your chicken broth and milk together in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.  Keep the pan over low heat.

Melt your butter in a large skillet.

Add the onion and cook for 3 to four minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the garlic and the Aborio rice, stir constantly for 1 minute. 

* Aborio rice is available at most supermarkets, and should not be confused with regular rice.  It's actually a pasta and will react different than your average long grain rice.


Add 1/4 cup of the milk/broth mixture and stir until completely absorbed.  Keep adding the heated milk/broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently.   Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before you add the next.

When the rice has been cooking for approximately 15 minutes and most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the corn kernels and tomatoes, along with the rest of the milk/broth mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender but still slightly chewy.

Add in your salt & pepper.

And your Parmesan cheese.

And lastly your basil leaves, mixing it all together.

Spoon the risotto immediately onto plate, and top with a few more strips of basil leaves for garnish and serve it on up.  The colors will be beautiful, the smell divine and best of all the taste is HEAVEN!!

BON APPETIT!!

TOMATO CORN BASIL RISOTTO

Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: 20 minutes   Ready in: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups chicken broth or stock

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 1/3 cup of fresh or frozen sweet corn

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine the broth and milk in a medium sized saucepan, heat to a simmer.  Keep the pan over low heat.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic and the rice, stir constantly for 1 minute.  Add 1/4 cup of the milk/broth mixture and stir until completely absorbed.

3.  Being to add the heated milk/broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently.  Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next.  When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes and most of the liquid has been incorporated, add the corn kernels and tomatoes along with the end of the milk/broth mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender but still slightly chewy.

4. The risotto should take 18 to 20 minutes of cooking all together.  Stir in the salt & pepper, Parmesan and most of the basil.  Spoon the risotto immediately onto plates, top with the remaining basil strands, and serve.