Saffron Risotto with Chicken

Tonight I made my first risotto. It's a lot more work than most things I make, but it was easier than I thought. It was more time consuming than anything else, but not so difficult. Saffron and arborio rice are fairly expensive for at home cooking ingredients, so I don't anticipate it's a dish I'll make often, but I think I may make it as a starter for a dinner party sometime.

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I revised a recipe that was already low fat to make it more low fat, but I don't think I sacrificed any flavor. The recipe calls for white wine, and I happened to have a very cheap bottle in the house that I opened. I think the wine overwhelmed the chicken broth because it was so cheap. By the time it was done cooking, the strong wine taste had almost dissipated, but I still think some of the chicken taste was sacrificed in the process.

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The flavor was good, but I felt like it was missing something, so I added reduced fat mozzarella at the end, and it was just what it needed. Yum!

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Edible elements:

2 cooked chicken breasts

2 tbsp light butter

1/2 cup dry white wine

5 cups of chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 cups of arborio rice

1/2 cup of minced onion

1/3 cup of reduced fat parmesan cheese

1 cup reduced fat mozzarella

1/2 tsp grated saffron threads

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How to:

(mostly from http://whatscookingamerica.net/Pasta_Rice_Main/risottosaffron.htm)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring chicken broth to a slow, steady simmer.
In a large heavy 4-quart pan over medium heat, melt the butter; add onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft (be careful not to brown the onions).
Add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute, making sure all the grains are well coated (toasting the rice in melted butter keeps it from getting mushy). Add the wine and stir until completely absorbed. Add the hot chicken broth (1/2 cup at a time), stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup, reserving about 1/4 cup to add at the end. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
NOTE: Risotto doesn't need constant attention during its 18 minute cooking time. You'll just need to check on the pan every few minutes, give the rice a stir to keep it from sticking, and add more stock.
When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, add 1/2 the dissolved saffron. Continue to stir and when there is no more liquid in the pot, add the remaining saffron. Proceed with adding the broth. Add in the cooked chicken in bite sized pieces.
After approximately 18 minutes, when the rice is tender but still firm, add the reserved broth. The rice is done when it is tender, but firm to the bite. Turn off the heat and immediately add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, one cup of reduced fat mozzarella and the parmesan cheese, stirring vigorously to combine with the rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: To test the risotto for proper consistency, spoon a little into a bowl and shake it lightly from side to side. The risotto should spread out very gently of its own accord. If the rice just stands still, it's too dry, so add a little more stock. If a puddle of liquid forms around the rice, you've added too much stock. Spoon some liquid off, or just let the risotto sit for a few more seconds off the heat to absorb the excess stock.
Transfer risotto to warmed serving plates and serve immediately with additional freshly grated parmesan cheese on the side.
Note: If the finished risotto is left to sit and not served immediately, it will continue absorbing fluid and become sticky instead of creamy. You can save this by stirring in a few tablespoons of warm broth right before serving. If it is left to sit too long (15 minutes or more), the rice will lose its firm texture and become undesirably mushy.

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Makes 4 main course servings or 6 side dish servings.

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Based on 4 servings (with the mozzarella cheese):

Calories: 535

Fat: 8.6

Fiber: 1 g

Protein: 44.6

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It's definitely higher in calories than most recipes I make, but if you have two other light meals, you can fit this into your daily calories just fine. When I chose to make this recipe, I read nutrition information that said this dish (minus the chicken and mozzarella), based upon 6 servings was 153 calories. I figured that adding in the chicken, cheese and using the main course serving size would lead to an overall calorie intake of 400, but then I realized that the recipes originator used the wrong calculations to reach the 153 calorie total. Had I known the servings would have 535 calories each, I would have made it as a side dish with a large salad.

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I made healthy choices today, and I consumed a total of 1,400 calories, which is more than I usually eat. On days I don't exercise, I like to consume between 1,000 - 1,200 calories. Yesterday I exercised and I only consumed 900 calories, so hopefully it will all work out in the wash!

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I was going to go to the gym since I'm feeling bloated and like I ate too much, but I just checked the web site, and apparently the gym closes at 7PM on Sunday night. Lame! I think I will do crunches and push ups at the very least.