Friday, September 9, 2011

"I'll Have...Sum-uh-tha-Yella..."

Sum-uh-tha-Yella Chicken & Mushroom Risotto
Well, its Friday and we're having SO much with our Movie Mania Menu week.  We're going all the way through Monday with this, and then we'll continue to make EVERY Monday a Movie Mania Menu day.  Keep those suggestions coming because I am LOVING your ideas!

Comedies are obviously my favorite movie genre.  In my opinion, I want to be entertained and LAUGH a LOT when I watch a movie. I don't need deep brain stimulation, that's what the Discovery Channel is for!

Today, we're going National Lampoons style with this menu.  Chevy Chase is one of my all time favorites, and Randy Quaid is the perfect crazy compliment in the Vacation movie series.  So, as a tribute to this terrific team, we're having a Vegas Vacation moment.  My husband and I can't pass through Yuma, Arizona without looking for Nick Papagiorgio, we can't play black jack without looking for Wallace Shawn and his lisp at the dealing tables, and we CERTAINLY can't pass through a buffet line without saying..."I'LL HAVE...SUM-UH-THA-YELLA."



Now, I hope my "Yella" dish looks a little more appetizing than the one at the Vegas Vacation Buffet.  It's a chicken and mushroom risotto with lots of parmesan cheese, baby bella mushrooms and a sweet, citrusy lemon zest finish.  You can use a few strands of saffron as a food coloring, but we had a huge power outage last night as I was making this, so I couldn't go to the store and buy it.  I used yellow food coloring instead, and I was a little worried about the outcome, but we made it through and the flavor was just fine.  Enjoy!

Sum-uh-tha-Yella Chicken & Mushroom Risotto

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 40 minutes / Servings: 4

Sum-uh-tha-Yella Chicken & Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Arborio rice (or other short grain rice)
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 4 scallions, chopped (reserve about 2 tbsp. for garnish)
  • 10 oz. bag of sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1/2 tsp. yellow food coloring
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. red chile flake
  • salt and pepper
Steps:
  1. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken, season with salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.  Continue to cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until chicken is browned and just cooked through.  Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In the same heated skillet, heat remaining olive oil.  Stir in scallions, mushrooms, red bell pepper, red chile flake and remaining garlic powder.  Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until veggies are soft.  Stir in rice and toast on medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.
  3. Stir in food coloring with 1/2 cup chicken broth, stirring continuously until the broth is absorbed.  Keep adding the chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is soft, with almost a creamy sauce, about 20 minutes (you may not need the entire 4 cups of broth).
  4. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces.  When the rice is soft and creamy, stir in the chopped chicken and 3/4 cup parmesan cheese.
  5. To serve:  Scoop 1/4 of the risotto into 4 serving bowls.  Top with chopped scallions, remaining Parmesan cheese and lemon zest.  Serve immediately.
Sum-uh-tha-Yella Chicken & Mushroom Risotto

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