Shrimp & Spinach Risotto

This is not the first time she’s cooking this recipe, nor is it the first time I’ve gathered the ingredients for her.  But, as usual, I absent-mindedly ask what ingredients she needs and where the recipe is. I flip through the beloved binder to find the all too familiar page.  Our binder is not a traditional recipe collection.  It is a mélange of pages torn from issues of Southern Living and Gourmet, three-hole-punched, and aligned with sections printed from various online resources. I look at the tattered edges of the magazine pages and the gallons of ink I’ve used to print the others.

I am thankful we’ve transitioned to the iPad.

I review the recipe to construct a strategy to compile ingredients.  It occurs to me that the recipe/list is really just a crutch for me during my search.  Her end product is more than what is on the page.  Having it there is a rouse really.  When asked how she made something, just like her Grandma, she says, “I followed the directions on the box.”  Liars.  Both of them.

Duh, I know this one.  I’ve even taken a stab at it myself.  I am sure that somehow I’ve managed to flub it up.  I am the epitome of a klutz in the kitchen.  If I’m just grazing, I have no problem finding things.  I eat my way through the maze.  But when it comes to an ingredient hunt, everything shifts into a new and confusing labyrinth.

I blame it on the gremlins.

Between bouts of “No Shoes” and “Drop it” with the dog, I’m able to haphazardly pile the ingredients on the counter.  Seems simple enough.  Basic ingredients.  But, I should never underestimate her ability to transform starches, wine, and cheese into piles of ambrosia. I get to be a spectator.  I swim in the evolution of aromas wafting in and, on occasion, pop my head into the kitchen just to taste and annoy.  She cooks between bouts of “Errriiicc!” and “Stop it.”

First, she’s choppin’, she choppin’, she choppin’ – This goes through my head every time I see her at the cutting board, especially when we make stir-fry. (Watch it all or skip to the 2:37 mark to reminisce in my reference.)

10 feet is usually a safe distance...

She has knife-in-hand, so I leave or get kicked out, depending on who you ask.  When my curiosity gets the better of me (or my bottle gets empty), I creep back in to inspect the progress.  She has a setup like a risotto alchemist.  It was this organized when I got everything out, right?

The alchemist

I notice that she’s multitasking on a level that would have me burning down the kitchen in a matter of minutes.  Near the end, I’m only of use when she has to get out the ingredient I neglected to produce in my preliminary pile, so I have permission to stir the pot.

Lots of fire

I'm helping.

She adds a bit of Popeye’s panache, and we’re ready to enjoy.

Well blow me down.

Let's eat.

Ingredients:

4 cups reduced sodium chicken stock

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ teaspoon salt, divided

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup chopped shallots

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup (2 oz.) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or plain ole parmesan

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

3 cups spinach

Directions:

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small sauce pan, do not boil.  Keep warm over low heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle shrimp with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Add shrimp to pan; cook until mostly pink.  Remove pan from heat; set aside. 

Bring a small pot of water to boil.  Boil carrots for 5 minutes or until tender.  Drain and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauce pan or stock pot over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.  Add rice; cook 1 minute stirring constantly.  Stir in wine; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Stir in remaining stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next. 

Stir in shrimp; cook 1 minute or until shrimp looks done.  Stir in cheese, butter, peas, cooked carrots, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.  Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. 

*Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Adapted from Cooking Light APRIL 2010