Italian Sausage Risotto

My friend, Emma, and I get together every Friday to cook and bake. It started when we were preparing for preparing for Iowa State's 'Soy You Think You Can Cook?' contest. (How clever.)

The first couple Fridays, we practiced making our competition dishes - Curried Butternut Squash Soup (with silken tofu) with a Fresh Edamame Salad and a Panko Sesame Crusted Tofu Sandwich with Warm Brussels Sprout Slaw. It was as delicious as tofu can be. Which is pretty delicious.
Not that we are biased or anything.

We mastered those in about two sessions, obviously. Actually, in one, but the second seemed like good measure, since it was a contest. Practice makes delicious...or something like that.

Anyway, we enjoyed it so much that we kept getting together every Friday. But we stopped making vegetarian things and we started making whatever our hearts desired. So far, our hearts have desired buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese and fajita nachos and Italian sausage risotto with tomatoes and spinach. Buckets of yum. It would have been on Friday, but apparently spring break won out over cooking with me.

But as soon as she got back, I demanded food.

Is that an old Pizza Hut cup? 
Why yes, yes, it is. 

Italian Sausage Risotto
Ingredients:
1/2 pound Italian sausage
2 cups arborio rice
6 cups (48 ounces) chicken stock
1 can (12 ounces? 15 ounces? regular can size...I'm sorry.) stewed tomatoes, Italian if you can find them
3 cups fresh spinach
2 teaspoons fresh basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Directions:
1. If you're responsible, heat chicken broth to boiling and then reduce to a simmer. I'm not responsible. Don't be like me. Heat yo' chicken broth. It will make the rest of the process go faster.
2. While broth is heating/boiling/simmering, in a big wide stockpot, cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Once it's done, move it to a plate lined with a paper towel, using a slotted spoon (or a pancake turner if you are in Emma's kitchen), so most of the grease stays in the pan. I repeat, leave the grease in the pan. At least a couple tablespoons. Don't be scared.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the rice to the grease and toast it for 1-2 minutes.
4. Begin adding the chicken broth. Start with three cups. Heat it until it starts to boil, then reduce it to medium-low and simmer until about half of the liquid has evaporated. Add 1/2-1 cup of broth and repeat. Simmer, add broth, simmer, add broth, until the rice is al dente. That is, soft but not mushy. If you run out of chicken broth and the rice is still not quite al dente, you can use vegetable broth or water.
5. When the rice is done cooking, add tomatoes, spinach, basil, garlic, and Parmesan  Stir to combine and cook another minute or two, until everything is nice and hot.
6. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan. And parsley, if you're into that.

Foodie Fact
It is important to use arborio rice for risotto. It has more starch than long- or medium-grain rices. More starch means a thicker sauce and creamier final product. Which means more yum. So use arborio rice; it's the right thing to do.

I wish I had a cool sign off....
Until I figure that out, Happy Monday!
-- Krissy