On Friday, I had finished a long week of training, came home, and took a nice long nap. Then, I was ready to try a new recipe, Summer Vegetable Risotto with Grilled Chicken. I had tried some risotto recipes in the past, but I was eager to find something simpler and that didn't take quite as much time to cook. This recipe ended up being a fabulous choice. It was simple, had ingredients I love, and made just a few servings of leftovers, instead of a ton. I started by melting some butter in my French oven and then sautéed some onions for a few minutes. Next, I added the arborio rice and garlic and toasted it for about 2 minutes. I quickly deglazed the pan using some white wine. I just used a white blend for this recipe. Next, I added the chicken broth, stirred, put the lid on and cooked it for about 10 minutes. Next, I added milk, Italian seasoning, frozen peas, and frozen corn. Here was the substitution piece. I used Italian seasoning instead of Tuscan seasoning and I decreased it to a few teaspoons. I also picked frozen peas and corn for the veggies, but the possibilities are endless. Pick whatever you have or is in season. I continued cooking until the liquid was absorbed. While the risotto was simmering, I got my grill pan ready by heating it up and brushing it with olive oil. I massaged some lemon pepper seasoning mix on some chicken breasts and cooked them about 7 minutes on each side. I let them sit a few minutes before slicing them. After the risotto finished, I added some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I plated the risotto with a few strips of grilled chicken on each portion. It was delicious. The creamy risotto paired well with the seasoned grilled chicken. It was a filling, yet not heavy meal and made excellent leftovers, too. This is definitely one I'll be making again soon.

The New Austonian