Oven-Baked Risotto ~ Martha Monday's

Another week... another Martha Monday project. This week was my choice and I went with Oven-baked risotto...of course you know me it had to be easy and tasty. The chicken was in the slow cooker and I had everything ready for the risotto so I could pop it in the oven when we got back from the beach. Sunday evenings we like to walk the beach for sunset when we get a chance. This evening the sun was amazing and an awesome color red as we were driving the short distance to Crescent Beach, but when we got there they are working on the access so we drove a little farther down the key to Turtle Beach...


Here is Martha's recipe from Everyday Food:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine, (optional)
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

2.Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

3.Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.

I caramelized the onions slightly first and added a few dried herbs, my Fine Herbes blend, and a bit more cheese. I think it could of used a little more liquid, but that is easy enough to fix (I know risotto is suppose to spread). I like the size of this recipe, it's perfect for a small family like mine. The baked pumpkin risotto that I've made before was such a large amount, we could never finish it all. That one is good for Thanksgiving or big gatherings.

Mmm...stir in all that goodness when it comes out of the oven...nice and creamy. I think I could use this recipe again and try it with some butternut squash that I have in the freezer, or spinach...

I love how easy this was, so nice I didn't have to stand at the stove and stir, would much rather be walking the beach. I think it really pulled the Sunday supper together nicely.

This evening it was such a wonderful walk on Turtle Beach...with a nice breeze blowing...


...sand between your toes...

It's funny how different the sand is here from Crescent beach's white sand when it's just a mile or so south.

...waves rolling upon the sand...so much funto watch the sandpipers run back and forth with each wave.

Enjoy each day!