Ingredients
3 ½ cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
salt
2 cups Arborio rice (risotto)
1 pound thin asparagus, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup Parmesan, grated
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
Directions
1) Bring the broth and water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low.
2) In a seperate saucepan melt the butter and add the onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook onion 10 minutes. Add the rice and cook an additional 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3) Add 3 cups of the warm broth to the rice pan and let it simmer for 12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the asparagus.
4) Continue cooking but add the remaining warm broth, ½ cup at a time, every 3-4 minutes to rice. Risotto is finished when it has reached desired texture: cooked through but slightly firm in center.
5) Stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper, zest, and mint.
*Recipe by Shelley Neese, vice president of The Jerusalem Connection. Click here for her articles and videos.