Risotto with Radicchio and Blue Cheese

D and I stayed with my aunt and uncle for the holiday. They are vegetarians and we offered to cook a meal for letting us stay at their place. We enjoy cooking anyway and preparing a large meal is fun for us and makes it easier for everyone else anyway. Since risotto is usually a vegetarian dish, we decided to prepare two types: porchini mushroom  (the same as this recipe, except without the sun-dried tomatoes), and radicchio and blue cheese.

Radicchio and blue cheese risotto is pretty unique because most risottos use butter or parmesian. I like this risotto because it is a bit different and the blue cheese adds a nice flavor. Also, radicchio is not a vegetable I eat a lot of so this is a nice way to use it.

Radicchio and Blue Cheese Risotto

• risotto rice 
• 1 radicchio for every 3-4 people
• 1 container blue cheese (approximately 8 oz, but to be honest, the more or less blue cheese you throw in will just change the strength of the blue cheese flavor, so you should add the amount you think you and your family will enjoy)
• butter
• olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion
• vegetable or chicken broth
• cooking wine
• salt and pepper

Begin by heating about 1 quart of vegetable or chicken broth and slicing the onion. Cook the onion in a deep pan with about 1 tbs butter and a bit of olive oil. Slice the radicchio. When the onion is cooked, you can add the uncooked rice and about one cup of broth. Stirring will be very important here, make sure you are stirring the recipe all the time so that the rice does not stick to to the bottom of the pan.

Cook the rice for about 15 minutes, adding more broth when the the moisture becomes evaporated into the rice. Add the radicchio, a touch of white cooking wine, and salt and pepper to taste. You will need to cook the mixture for about 20 more minutes, constantly stirring, and adding more broth when the mixture needs more moisture. If you run out of broth, you can use hot water instead. Taste the mixture every five minutes or so, so you are able to judge when the rice is completely cooked.

When the rice is cooked, turn off the burner, add two tablespoons of butter and a container of blue cheese. If desired, you can also add a couple tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Stir in completely and serve warm.

My family is made of blue cheese lovers so they enjoyed this recipe. As you can see below, my grandfather even got excited about the stirring aspect!