Risotto Primavera

* You can replace any or all of the vegetables with whatever you have in the refrigerator.

1. Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then add the arborio rice and coat it with butter. Then you will begin to add the chicken broth. The trick with risotto is adding the liquid in small amounts and continuously stirring it till the liquid has absorbed into the rice before adding more liquid. Then you just repeat the process until all of the liquid is used.

2. Chop up all of the vegetables. Steam the broccoli in the microwave or in a steamer basked over a pot of simmering water until a fork can easily penetrate it. This should take about 5 or 6 minutes.

3. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then add the rest of the vegetables (minus the broccoli that is cooking separately) into the saucepan and saute. The vegetables will cook the whole time the risotto is being made. Keep the lid on the vegetables and stir every once in a while. You want all the liquid to escape from the veggies and you want them to become limp and soft. Once the broccoli is done add it to the veggie mixture.

4. Half way through the cooking process, about 20 minutes in, add the white wine to the vegetables. Cover the pot again and continue cooking.

5. Once the risotto is done, add it to the vegetable pan and mix everything together with the heat turned off. Also add cheese at this time. You can also add red pepper flakes if you want a little heat to your dish. Squeeze lemon juice over top to give it a fresh zing. Serve warm. This meal is even better reheated!