Sweet Corn and Roasted Poblano Risotto

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Let's just cut right to the chase.

Risotto rules.

I've mentioned a couple 5 million times that rice is one of my favorite foods EVER so risotto is obviously a dish I love. Thankfully, Jason will happily eat a loaded risotto for dinner without saying "rice? again?" like he would with a typical rice side dish so I make it as often as possible! We really loved this version - so good! Almost like risotto with a Tex Mex kick.

Risotto is simple to make and requires very little skill - just some patience and time. When I make risotto, I bring my laptop to the kitchen and surf the net while I stir. Otherwise, I get bored... though admittedly, I have a very short attention span to start with :)

I think this works well as a weeknight meal because it's simple and doesn't require a ton of other dishes to pull off. If you want to whip it up quickly, roast the poblanos the night before and use some store-bought rotisserie chicken for the meat lovers in your home. And then, when you're sitting on the couch in your PJs watching Scandal, you'll feel super fancy dining on risotto!

Sweet Corn & Roasted Poblano Risotto

5 cups chicken stock

2 poblano peppers - roasted, de-seeded, and chopped (see below)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped 

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 3/4 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup frozen sweet corn

1/4 cup white wine

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup chopped rotisserie chicken (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat the stock to a simmer and then reduce heat so the stock stays warm.

In a deep skillet or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon.

Add the rice to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Be careful to not let the rice brown. 

Add a ladle of the reserved hot stock to the rice and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed. When the rice looks almost dry, add another ladle of stock. Repeat until all but 2 ladles worth of stock have been added and absorbed. 

Stir in the chopped poblanos, corn, and 1 ladle of stock. Let the liquid absorb. Add salt, pepper, cumin, chopped chicken (if using), and last ladle of stock. Stir until the last bit of liquid has been absorbed. Taste and make sure the rice is cooked (if not, continue adding liquid - either more stock or just water - until it's creamy and tender). This process will take around 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Add cilantro, stir, and remove from heat.

Sprinkle grated Parmesan over each serving.  

To roast the peppers: Turn your broiler on high and line a baking sheet with foil. Coat the poblanos with cooking spray and place on the baking sheet. Broil until the skin starts to bubble and blacken. Using tongs, flip the peppers over and let the other side cook until blackened and bubbly. Remove from the oven and place both peppers in a gallon sized ziptop bag. Seal and set aside for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the peppers from the bag and begin to peel the outer skin off - it should come off easily. You can use gloves but I like to live life on the edge. Once the skin has all been removed, cut off the cap, slice down one side, and scrape out the seeds. Now just dice them!

Source: adapted from Foodie Fitness