White Wine Risotto with Fresh Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella

Again with the risottos.  Can I not get enough?  Not really.  It seems so fancy-like, but once you have down the science of it risotto can easily be added into your weeknight rotation.  Science seems like the wrong word to use.. because, really.. I am NO scientist and if you have had a conversation with me- you may be lucky enough to catch me speaking rather ‘air-head-ish.  I have learned I need to process my words a little better than I do sometimes.

My Fireman often times finds humor in my ‘air-head’ abilities.

So, white coat or not- risotto is not rocket science- but totally stands out as such an elegant dish to serve.. especially when done in this way- fresh tomatoes, basil, and you can even use fresh mozzarella over the standard shredded.

Ever wonder how Rachael Ray does it all in just 30 minutes?  Start with all your ingredients in face view.. you wont be spending your time searching through your pantry and fridge for the next ingredient on the recipe list during the middle of your prep.  MAJOR time saver.

Sautee your chopped leeks in about a tablespoon of oil.  Don’t forget to wash the grit away from your leeks.  They like to keep quite a bit in between the tight layers of green.  I usually cut mine in half vertically and rinse rather than just rinsing the outside.

Toasting the rice.  An important part in producing flavor of the grain.. no matter what variety you are cooking.  The nutty flavor is so delicous

But not the burned flavor.. so be mindful of your frequent stirring.

Reduce your dry white wine.

And then start adding in your {low-sodium} chicken broth.  Just about a cup will do about every 2-3 minutes, just until alomst aborbed.  I used chicken broth, but you can most definitly sub for vegetable broth.

And again with the Pyrex measuring cup. This time add in your half and half.  Fat free half and half does wonders in the dish- the result is just as creamy as the original, no risk for broken sauce- as I have seen in the past with my lemon pasta.  Blech.

So if your market happens to offer the fat free variety, grab it up for use, people.

And then stir in your shredded mozzarella.

…and a sweet surprise for your tastebuds

Bring the 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; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add the 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 evenly into 6 shallow serving bowls, and drizzle each with 1 teaspoon balsamic syrup and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.