Monday Blahs

Had the Monday Blahs today. It's gray, and cold, and generally depressing outside. Plus, I have a Finance midterm on Wednesday, so the next couple of nights will be dedicated to studying. So for dinner, I turned to a favorite comfort food, risotto. Since it's been some time since I've made a decent supermarket run, I raided the pantry to see what I could concoct with a few basic staples. The result:





PORCINI & SUNDRIED TOMATO RISOTTO

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 oz. sundried tomatoes
2 c. boiling water
1/2 qt. vegetable stock
1 large shallot, minced
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 c. Arborio rice
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano

In a large measuring cup, pour boiling water over porcinis and sundried tomatoes to rehydrate. Set aside for 10 minutes, until vegetables are plump. Remove vegetables from liquid, slice, and set aside. Add mushroom/tomato water to simmering vegetable stock in a small saucepan.

In a separate saucepan, sautee shallots in olive oil until softened. Add porcinis and sundried tomatoes and sautee; add salt & pepper to taste. Add rice and stir to coat each grain with olive oil.

Begin adding simmering broth to the saucepan, one cup at a time, stirring rice and vegetables frequently. As liquid evaporates, add more broth, stirring. Continue this process for approximately 10-15 minutes, until rice is tender and most of the broth has been absorbed (it is possible that you may not use all of the simmering broth). Risotto should have a creamy texture.

Stir in cheese and serve immediately. Makes approximately 2 servings as a meal or 4 side servings.

Usually, I add about a cup of white wine to the sauteeing vegetables and rice, before adding stock. However, all I had on hand was a Riesling that someone brought to a past dinner party, which I was afraid would be too sweet. The risotto tasted fine without wine, but it would have made a nice addition.