Review: Risotto with Grape Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella, September 2007

[Jessica]

I loved this dish and so did DH; even our toddler enjoyed eating it. I made a few small changes. I used less salt and a few more tomatoes, and I used whole milk instead of half and half.

I rarely say this about a CL recipe, but I thought this had too much cheese. You could easily reduce it to 3-4 oz and keep the creaminess. I loved the variety of textures in this risotto and the basil and tomato flavors really pop against the mild cheese.

[Jalapeno]

God I wish I liked tomatoes. I absolutley hate them though. :( How much cheese did it call for? I don't have the Sept. issue yet. When I make risotto I usually only put a handful of cheese in it.

[HealthyinMN]

Here's the recipe...

Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Basil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped leek
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, finely diced
Preparation
Place vinegar in a small, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until slightly syrupy and reduced to 1 tablespoon (about 4 minutes). Set aside.

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in half-and-half, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Place about 1 cup risotto into each of 6 shallow serving bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon balsamic syrup and 1/2 teaspoon oil.

[gertdog]

Jessica, thanks for the review! I have it on the menu for the coming week and I'm glad to know the whole milk worked- I'll use that instead of half-and-half, and I'll taste before adding all the cheese. Sounds like a perfect end-of-summer dish!

[NewMrsG]

This is probably a terrible hijack, but the risotto recipe reminded me of the recipe below - it was one of the finalists in the National Chicken Recipe contest and is one of our absolute favorites. A hijack - but if you like the flavors of caprese, you'd really like this:

Roasted Chicken Caprese

Suzanne Pherigo Fort Collins, CO

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 medium Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 container (8 oz.) mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Place chicken in 1-gallon zip bag. Add Lemon Vinaigrette, seal and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Cut each tomato into quarters, lengthwise. Place in medium bowl and toss gently with sugar, salt and olive oil. Spoon tomato mixture onto rimmed cookie sheet so that tomato pieces don't touch. Place in 375 degree F. oven and roast for 30 minutes. Spoon tomatoes and all accumulated juices into small bowl. Add cheese, basil leaves and pepper, tossing gently. Let sit at room temperature while chicken cooks. Remove chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken on same cookie sheet used to roast tomatoes. Roast at 350 degree F. for about 30 minutes, turning once. To serve, place one chicken breast half on each heated dinner plate. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture over top. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Vinaigrette: In small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 clove garlic (minced), 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

[ElinorC]

Thanks for both recipes! They sound great and will be on my to-try list which is growing ever bigger.

[kim21]

Thanks so much for posting these recipes. I'm preparing dinner for my parents tomorrow, and DM is gluten intolerant. I'm always on the prowl for new wheat-free recipes. Thanks much! Kim

[gertdog]

We made this tonight and while I thought it was fine, I was a little disappointed. For something containing so many garden-fresh ingredients (the leeks, tomatoes and basil were just-picked) and a yummy balsamic syrup, I found it a little bland. And even with reducing the cheese, I thought it was too much, because it was so stringy when it melted.

DH agreed with my assessment, but DS (a toddler) ate every bite! :)