From Anacapa’s Chef Dan to Your Kitchen

CULINARY From Anacapa’s Chef Dan To Your Kitchen

GRILLED VEGETABLE RISOTTO WITH HAVARTI

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic • 4 tablespoons butter (½ stick) • 5 cups or more chicken broth, canned or homemade • 2 cups Arborio rice (in specialty stores & most grocery stores) • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 cup red pepper, diced • Small bunch asparagus • I small butternut squash • 1 small yellow squash • ½ cup cream if desired • 1 cup diced Havarti cheese, or any cheese you desire

Method:

Peel and finely chop the onion. Slice your veggies to grill (or small dice and set aside). Lightly grill veggies, cool then dice. Melt the butter in a 4-to-5quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly. Add the onion and cook, continuing to stir, until it turns soft and translucent. Turn the heat down if the onion starts to brown. Add your garlic and sauté with onions for 1 minute.

Pour the chicken broth into a separate saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Once the onion is soft, add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary -- if the rice is cooked at too high a heat, it will turn brown and take on an undesirable flavor.

Using a ladle, scoop up about ½ to ¾ cup of broth. Pour it in the pan with the rice, stirring constantly with a spoon. After the first addition of broth, the rice mixture will look a bit soupy. As the rice begins to cook, stir it constantly, making sure that you scrape along the bottom of the pan so that it does not stick. You should see little bubbles popping up on the liquid from time to time. If it bubbles more vigorously than this, turn the heat down to medium-low.

When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the rice begins to look a bit dry, add another ladle of broth to the pan and stir constantly, as before. (If you did not grill your veggies, add in at this point so they can cook with your rice.) Continue to add the broth in ½-to-¾-cup batches and stir the rice until you have used most of the broth. (This will probably take about 20 minutes). It is now time to test whether the risotto is cooked. Spoon up a grain of rice and bite into it -- should be tender without being too mushy. If it is still crunchy and tastes a bit starchy, you will need to continue adding liquid and cooking further. At this point add your grilled vegetables. I also like to add a little cream to my risotto to give it more richness. Stir in well and check seasoning. When the rice is tender and the risotto has a creamy consistency, almost like thick oatmeal, it is done. Remove from heat, stir occasionally. Stir in Havarti chunks right before serving. Sprinkle a few on top if you like.

RETIREMENT FINANCES:

Senior Living Community Differences

THURSDAY, JULY 15TH • 10:00AM

Join us for an informative discussion about the financial differences of lease vs. buy-in senior living communities with Tom Mertensmeyer from Senior Financial Benefits. Afterwards, take a tour and experience the maintenance-free lifestyle at The Heritage. To RSVP for this socially-distanced event, please call 623.505.6405.

CARF-ACCREDITED INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING 19303 N. New Tradition Road • Sun City West TheHeritageSeniorLiving.com • 623.505.6405