Hello Lovelies,

Another budget friendly meal! I made a yummy dinner last night using some of my canned beef and vegetable stock!  It was delicious.  It was a no meat meal which I will often do from time to time to be more healthy but also to make our budget stretch.  This can easily be made vegetarian by using two pints of vegetable stock.  Now I understand Arborio rice is a little pricey.  But you don’t need a lot.  By enough for one meal.  I buy from a bulk bin and where I shop it was $7.99/lb.  I bough half a pound for a little under $4 and I’ve been able to make two separate meals.  Each meal made enough for two dinners.

Homemade Mushroom Risotto

-1 – 1  1/2 cup of Arborio rice or risotto rice

-2 pints of stock.  I used beef and vegetable

-1 container of mushrooms which is probably 2 cups

-1/4 cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese

-Parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

-1 tbs ricotta cheese

-1 onion diced small

-1 tsp minced garlic

I had a two pan system going.  One pot filled with my stock and another flat fry pan for my rice.  Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.  You do not want color to form on your onion.  This is to cook the onion because you don’t want the color to color your rice.  Add the rice and cook lightly to coat every grain in olive oil.   This almost toasts the rice.  Now add 2-3 ladles of stock and simmer on medium low until absorbed.  Once absorbed, add another 2-3 ladles of stock.  It will take about 10 minutes or so between ladles of stock to absorb depending on your temperature.  Taste test your rice.  It should be a slight bite.  Add ricotta, cheese and add the remaining stock, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Its creamy, rich, full of flavor, and so yummy with a side salad.  The mushrooms are the perfect substitute for meat and you don’t miss it at all.  Easy dinner for less than $3 or $6 for the entire pan.  My pan fed my son and I for dinner and I have half the pan left for another nights dinner.