Earthy goodness …

I love anything that tastes earthy; wines, tea, food, etc. What is that earthy taste I am referring to? It’s a flavor that instantly makes you feel grounded, warm, taken care of, clean, whole, etc. Basically, if you’ve ever tasted something and you feel like you can taste that it came out of the ground or from a plant, that’s earthy, and I LOVE IT! 🙂

I recently received truffle oil (liquid gold to those who love earthy flavors) and I’ve been dying to use it. I also recently made a roast chicken so I thought, “I know, I’ll make a risotto!” Yum, mushroom risotto with chicken, Parmesan cheese, thyme, and truffle oil. I’m in heaven…

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Yields: 3-4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Arborio Rice
• 1-2 Cups Shredded Chicken
• 4 Cups Organic Chicken Broth
• 1/4 Cup White Wine (Drink the rest 🙂 )
• 1/2 Onion diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1-2 Cups Fresh Mushrooms, sliced (I like crimini, but you can also use button or baby portobello)
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 2 tsp Truffle Oil (I use black truffle oil but you could also use white truffle oil)
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tb. Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Heat chicken broth on low in a pot
2. Heat 1 Tb. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add onion. Cook until translucent.
3. Add mushrooms, thyme, and garlic to the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper and then 1 tsp of truffle oil, cook for 1 minute then transfer to a medium sized bow;. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
5. In the saute pan you were just using add 1 Tb olive oil and arborio rice. Stir the entire time and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add white wine to rice and allow to almost completely evaporate. Stir occasionally.
7. Add 1 Cup of chicken stock to rice at a time, allowing each cup to nearly evaporate before the next cup is added. Stir occasionally.
8. Once risotto is soft yet still chewy add mushroom mixture back to saute pan, in addition to parmesan cheese and remaining truffle oil. Toss in chicken and then serve immediately.