This risotto is one of the best “instant food” recipes ever. I always have some dried mushrooms – porcini secchi at home. It is very practical when you have unexpected visitors and want to offer them a delicious meal. It only takes 20 minutes to prepare and takes very few ingredients.

Preparation time: 5 minute

Cooking time: 20 minutes

difficulry: easy

Preparation:

Soak the mushroom in a cup of hot water.

Dice the onions and fry them in a pan with some olive oil until they take on some colour. Then add the washed rice and fry for a minute or two. Then add the chopped garlic and stir it under the rice. Simmer for a few minutes then add the wine.

Once most of the wine has evaporated add half of the soup. The soup should always be hot when you add it to the risotto. This makes it more creamy. Stir well and reduce the heat. Let it simmer on low heat. Stir occasionally. When the liquid is soaked up by the rice add the rest of the soup.

Take the mushrooms out of the water. Cut them up a bit. Keep the water. Add the mushrooms and the water to the risotto.

Once the risotto is readily cooked ad the grated cheese. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

This risotto is similar to another Gorgonzola Risotto I have her on the blog. This one is featuring pear and walnuts as well as sage. I can only recommend this dish to cheese lovers!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

cooking time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Dice the onions and fry them in a large pan with some olive oil on medium heat. After a few minutes add the rice to the pan and fry for a minute or two.

Add the white wine and stir well. Let the wine reduce then add the soup cup by cup. Stir occasionally. Keep adding soup and then reducing it until the liquid is used up.

Meanwhile you can roast the chopped up walnuts in a pan for a few minutes to activate the aroma. Then add the butter and the sage. Fry for a few minutes then set aside the pan.

Cut the pears in quarters, remove the core and cut into slices.

Once the rice is al dente you can add the chopped up Gorgonzola and a fair amount of fresh pepper. Once the cheese is melted add the pears and half of the walnuts and salt to taste. Mix the risotto gently.

Set the pot aside and let it rest for a minute or two.

To serve sprinkle the remaining walnuts and sage butter over the risotto.

I pepped up the classic Risotto al Radicchio Rosso di Treviso with a bit of Williams pear and a little bit of Gorgonzola cheese. A very tasty vegetarian risotto.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Dice the onions. Fry them in a pan with some butter.

Chop the garlic and cut the Radicchio into thin stripes. Peel the pear and dice it.

Now add the garlic to the onions and let it fry for a minute.

Now add the rice and half the Radicchio. Fry for another minute. Then add the wine. Let it boil, so the alcohol can evaporate, then add the stock. Stir, then cover to let it simmer on low heat.

When the risotto is al dente add the remaining Radicchio and the pear cubes. let it sit for a few minutes. Add the Gorgonzola cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and serve instantly.

We are in the middle of squash season and I had this one on my “to do” list. The squash risotto is simple as such, it is the walnuts that give it the special touch. They also add a bit of texture to the risotto.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

cooking time: 25 minutes

difficulty: easy

Preparation:

Peel the squash and cube it. The cubes should be around 1 inch. Then place the cubes on a tray and roast in the oven at 400F for 15 minutes. The baking time is depending on the consistency and water content of the squash.

Meanwhile peel and dice the onion. Put them into a pan with olive oil and saute until golden. Now add the rice. Stir and fry a bit, then add the vegetable stock. Stir well, then let the covered pot simmer for 15 minutes. Occasionally stir.

Meanwhile peel the walnuts and crush them a bit. chop up the dill.

Then the rice is cooked, stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the pumpkin from the oven and the walnuts and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Again I am cooking with Octopus and this time it is a risotto. I can only recommend Octopus in combination with risotto. Save the boiling water after boiling the octopus. It can be used to cook the rice.

Preparation time: 40 minutes

difficulty easy

Preparation:

Cut the octopus in pieces, place it in a small pot and cover it. Let is simmer on low heat for 20 to minutes. It should be done by then. Do not add water to the octopus. It is cooking best in its own juices.

Take out the octopus and let it cool down.

Meanwhile dice the onion and fry it in a pan. Add the rice and fry for a minute or two.
Now add the wine, half a cup of the boiling liquid of the octopus and half a cup of water. Stir well and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add water or boiling liquid if necessary. Be careful with the boiling liquid of the octopus. It contains salt and using to much of it may turn the risotto salty.

Meanwhile cut the octopus into small rings. Chop the parsley. Add both to the done risotto. Mix well and season with pepper.

Asparagus Risotto is one of my favourite ones, so it came in handy that I found fresh asparagus on the market in Hydra. I love the bite the creamy risotto gets from the asparagus.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 40 minutes,

easy recipe

Preparation:

Bring water to boil.

Dice the onions and fry them in some olive oil.  Add the rice and let it fry for a minute or two.

Add the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate before you add two cups of soup. Stir well and let it boil on small heat. Occasionally stir the risotto.

Cut off the bottom of the asparagus if necessary. Boil in the water you previously prepared until it is “al dente”

Drain the asparagus and let it cool down. Then cut into pieces, approximately 1 cm long.

Check on the risotto again. Towards the end of the cooking phase it might need some stirring.
When the rice has absorbed the liquid add the asparagus. Add the Parmesan, salt and pepper and stir well. Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Your risotto is ready to be served.

A fabulous dish for those who can’t decide if they prefer Risotto or Pasta. This dish combines both. Kritharotto – Κριθαρότo – uses the Greek pasta Kritharaki that is shaped like a rice corn (also known as Orzo). The dish is also prepared like a risotto, which gives it a perfectly creamy texture and a wonderful taste. I decided on a version with tomato, but you can be creative or just cook any Risotto recipe that you know using this pasta.

Being quite a different pasta dish with a twist, the Kritharotto perfectly fits the 5 star makeover event.

cooking time: 20 minutes

easy recipe

Preparation:

Dice the onion and brown it in some butter. Add the Kritharaki and fry them for a few minutes. Now add the soup and stir. Let it simmer on low heat for approximately 20 minutes. Stir occasionaly.

Meanwhile half the tomatoes, grind the cheese and chop the parsley.

Once the pasta has soaked up all the liquid and is almost al dente add the tomatoes and the parsley. Let it sit for a few minutes then add the cheese and mix.

Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

I was stunned when I discovered these magnifficant strawberries in the vegetable store, where I usually shop. I was a bit suspicious but the lady that owns the shop assured me that these were Greek strawberries. They must originate from a Cretan glas house I thougt and tried one. They were sweet and juicy which convinced me to take them along. Earlier on I had decided upon risotto, as the dish of the day, so it turned out to be a Strawberry Risotto.

Preparation time: 5 cooking time

Cooking time: 25 minutes

easy recipe

Preparation:

Peel and cube the shallots. Fry them in some butter until they changed colour. Add the white wine and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Now add the beef stock, stir well and let it boil on low heat for 20 minutes (depending on the rice).

Use the 20 minutes to grind the Parmigiano, cut the Gorgonzola into cubes and clean and cut the strawberries.

When the rice is done, add the cheeses and mix well. Now add the strawberries, blend them carefully into the rice. Take the pot off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.

I like the strawberries to still have a bite. The longer you let the risotto sit, the softer the strawberries get.

Season with lots of pepper and some salt and serve.

This is one of my favourite risotto recipes. One has to find small squid thoug. It is much more tender and soft than the larger ones and its taste is divine. Another thing you really need is fish stock. You may use ready made one from your fish dealer or even powdered stock. The best of course is to find the time to make your own.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

cooking time: 20 minutes

simple recipe

Preparation:

Cube the onions and brown them in a big pot with some butter on medium heat. Add the rice and stir. Give the rice a few minutes to change the colour slightly. Add the glass of white wine. Then the fish stock. reduce the heat.

Stirring the risotto constantly is not necessary, although there exists a myth. You have to stir it well in the beginning when you add the liquids and in the end when it is about to finish. In the meantime you can let it boil on low heat.

Wash the squid and cut it in fine slices. The heads I do not use. Chop the spring onions and the garlic finely. Put all into a pan and fry it lightly. a few minutes are enough to the squid. Put the pan aside.

a few minutes before the risotto is done, add the parsley. Mix well. Then add the squid and the ink and blend that with the rice. Put the risotto aside and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

The ink is not a must, but it gives the risotto a fantastic colour.

This turned out to be a truly winterly risotto. Fried apple, bacon and Gorgonzola cheese mixed into a creamy risotto. A great combinations of strong tastes that goes well with a glass of a decent red wine and a fireplace.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Very simple recipe

Preparation:

Peel the apple. Cut one half of the apple into thick slices and dice the other half.
Cut the bacon into thin slices and fry it an a pan with a bit of butter until it is crusty.
Take the bacon out of the pan and put it aside. Take the apple slices and fry them until they are golden brown. Put aside.

Add some more butte to the pan and fry the finely diced onion until brown. Add the rice and fry for a few minutes. Add the soup to the rice and let it simmer. Risotto has to be stirred only a few times while cooking. Several times in the beginning when you add the liquid and several times in the end when it is about to get ready. In case it is necessary add a bit of liquid.

Once the rice has absorbed the water (approx. 20 minutes) add the bacon. Stir well. Then add the Gorgonzola. Let it melt. In the end add the apple and mix.

Take the risotto of the stove and let it rest for a few minutes. Put it on pre-heated plates and decorate with the apple slices. Add fresh pepper and serve.

I do not add salt to the dish as the cheese provides usually with enough salt.