Lemon, Mushroom, and Leek Risotto with an Arugula Salad

This lemon, leek, mushroom risotto is my absolute favorite dish to make and to eat. It's perfect for a nice comforting meal by yourself, or add an arugula salad and it makes a great meal if you're having a dinner party or a date over. The lemon, leeks, and parsley make this dish taste bright and refreshing while the parmesan makes it absolutely decadent. (This is about as decadent as I get. I'm a pretty healthy eater generally). It's a little time consuming, as all risottos are, so I'd recommend watching a show on your laptop or having a friend over to drink and chat while you slowly stir in the broth.

Here's what you'll need for the risotto;

8 oz trimmed Leeks
8 oz Mushrooms (I really recommend the "Gourmet Mushroom Blend" containing a mix of shitake, oyster, and cremini, but just cremini works fine too)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
6 tbsp butter
I large Red Onion, chopped
1 3/4 cups of Aborio Rice
5+ cups Veg Stock, heated (Do this before you start chopping your vegetables. It should boil, but you should be able to see it steam).
grated zest and juice of one Lemon
2/3 grated fresh Parmesan (if you can't afford the real stuff, Whole Foods sells a grated 3 cheese blend that tastes great and is totally affordable)
1/4 cup of chopped mixed Parsley and Chives
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Lemon wedges and Parsley for garnish

Start by washing the leeks really well. In case you've never cooked with leeks, you should know that there is often dirt in the middle. Cut off the butt and the dark green portion of the leek and slice in half lengthwise. Then, rinse until they are visibly clean. and roughly chop. Wash and chop the mushrooms too, but you can skip this step if you bought the blend because that's already done for you.

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. All of your ingredients are going in here eventually, so pick a big one. Cook the garlic for a minute. Then, add the leeks and mushrooms. Season well, and cook until brown; about ten minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Now add two tablespoons of the butter and cook the onion over medium heat for about five minutes. Then, stir in the rice to cook for about a minute.

This is where the veg stock comes in. Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and stir into the rice. Stir occasionally until all of the liquid is absorbed and then you can add another ladleful. This process should be repeated until all of the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be creamy and tender and not sticky.

When your rice has the perfect consistency, you can stir in the leeks and mushrooms you cooked up earlier, the rest of the butter, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and half the parmesan and herbs. Add more seasoning here if needed too.

When serving, sprinkle some cheese and herbs on the individual servings and garnish if desired.

Want to make it a perfect meal with that yummy arugula salad? I don't blame you; It's delicious and super easy to make!

All you need is;

Arugula
Fresh Lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Shaved Parmesan
Fire-roasted Tomatoes

Toss the arugula in some olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste. Season with the salt and pepper. Then put the arugula and top with the parmesan and chopped fire-roasted tomatoes.

This meal is quite impressive, so I'd recommend you share it!