Gluten Free Creamy Asparagus Risotto Recipe

Fresh green asparagus. It's like a symbol of spring to toss asparagus with any number of your favorite flavors. Asparagus with eggs (last night). Asparagus with a cream sauce (maybe not, in this dairy free world of mine). Asparagus with risotto. Yes, please. We adore risotto.

I'm back. Today was the first day of my new job. I got my picture taken, with my feet on the photocopied footprints, taped to the floor, and I'll get an I.D. badge. I got security clearance to the floor where my office is located. My office with a view (even though this particular spot is temporary). I got a phone extension, complete with A Guide to Shortcuts for the [Tele-transfer-dial-a-tron] Phone System. Requisite reading. I chose my insurance plan and my 401k contribution. I attended my first staff meeting, which I was relieved to discover involved the same jokes and ribbing of any good staff meeting. I jumped right in and received new assignments. I got my new email address, being apparently the only employee ever to have no middle name. It's quite an honor, actually.

I exploded a portion of my lunch in the microwave. And wiped it out after that. I made a friend. She said she'll invite me to lunch "with the group" when they go again. Eeesh. I hope I can find something on the menu as I hang with this magical lunch group.

All of this change has me giddy. I love a fresh pursuit, a new set of tasks. Filled with new life like the spring blooms.

Creamy Asparagus Risotto

1 bunch asparagus, between 15 and 20 stalks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion
1 cup arborio rice
2-3 cups chicken stock or veggie stock (for vegetarian)
dried oregano
fresh cracked black pepper

First, slice the asparagus on the bias (diagonally) into 1 inch pieces, including the tops. If the bottom end of your asparagus has dried out or has made itself undesirable, just remove that portion. In a shallow pan with a small amount of hot water, blanch the asparagus until it turns bright green (about 4 minutes). Then, pour into a strainer and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process.

Cook onion in a hot pan with a tablespoon of oil to keep them from sticking to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent and the house smells great. Stir in the rice, and let it toast with the onions for 2 minutes. Once the rice starts to brown just a little (careful - it goes from toasty to black real quick!), ladle in a few cups of broth. Then, you will simmer the broth with the risotto until it has almost evaporated.

Continue simmering and adding broth until it has mostly absorbed, and the rice doesn't taste crunchy anymore. It will look very creamy. This generally takes between 20 and 30 minutes.

Near the end, top with the asparagus pieces. If you're like us, you'll also add chicken and bacon (yum!)