Please welcome Amrita from Beetles Kitchen to our Main Dish Monday! Today, she’s sharing her Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Risotto! YUM!
Let me begin by telling you how excited I am to be a guest on Sara’s blog. We first connected on Facebook and then I started reading her blog, which I love for its delicious treats! Don’t trust me? She’s famous, guys, with all her MSNBC appearances ;)
I know exactly what Sara means when she says having an imperfect kitchen is the best. Mine is far from perfect and I love it just the way it is. I’m lucky to have wonderful family around me who encourage and appreciate all my experiments in the kitchen, especially my husband, who sometimes has to wait long hours till I’m done taking pictures of the food I want to put up on my blog. Ok, long hours is an exaggeration but it certainly feels like that for him.
I grew up in India, in a family of wonderful cooks.
I’ve been inspired since childhood but, only realized my love for cooking much later. I love baking with all my heart, cooking is somewhat like a step-child in my book. :) The blog has increased my interest in cooking too, so that’s a good thing.
What I’ve got for all of you today is a lovely squash and chicken risotto that’s perfect for a hearty dinner or lunch. Risotto is a little labor-intensive since it requires all your attention from beginning till end. The fruits of that labor, though, are rewarding, for sure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Risotto
(Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au)
Ingredients and instructions
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon + 1/2 tablespoon butter
1 small white onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 small chicken breasts, trimmed
1 zucchini, halved lengthways, sliced diagonally
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
Heat the stock and wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and keep warm.
Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until just tender.
Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds and then add the rice. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until rice is well coated and the sides of the rice granules turn translucent. Using a ladle, pour in 1 cup of the warm stock mixture, stirring constantly to avoid the rice sticking to the base of the pan. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add another cup of stock, stirring again until most of the liquid has evaporated. Repeat the process until there is about 1 cup of stock remaining.
While the risotto is cooking, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook in the pan for 4 minutes each side or until it’s cooked. Remove from the pan and slice.
Add the zucchini, mushroom and remaining stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are softened and the rice is tender. Add the chicken, cilantro, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for a further 3-4 minutes.
Serve risotto with shaved parmesan and a simple salad, if desired.
The lovely Amrita can be found at Beetles Kitchen or on Facebook at Beetles Kitchen Escapades
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2butter
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 small chicken breasts trimmed
- 1 zucchini halved lengthways, sliced diagonally
- 1 cup button mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
- Heat the stock and wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and keep warm.
- Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until just tender.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds and then add the rice. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until rice is well coated and the sides of the rice granules turn translucent. Using a ladle, pour in 1 cup of the warm stock mixture, stirring constantly to avoid the rice sticking to the base of the pan. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add another cup of stock, stirring again until most of the liquid has evaporated. Repeat the process until there is about 1 cup of stock remaining.
- While the risotto is cooking, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook in the pan for 4 minutes each side or until it’s cooked. Remove from the pan and slice.
- Add the zucchini, mushroom and remaining stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are softened and the rice is tender. Add the chicken, cilantro, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Serve risotto with shaved parmesan and a simple salad, if desired.
Perfection is overrated. I’d much rather have license to play and have fun than worry about getting everything “right”. Though I will say that dish does look ‘right’! (I.e., super tasty.) :)
A fantastically delish guest post by one of my favourite bloggers – thanks for this :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru