Shrimp Mushroom Risotto

I absolutely love risotto (just ask my husband). I have been trying to perfect this recipe for a while. I think that I finally got it. Risotto requires TLC and some patience to make.

Ingredients:
1 cup of arborio rice
2 cups of low sodium chicken stock
1 cup of dry white wine (you can use 3 cups of chicken stock total and leave out the wine if you wish)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 whole small package of white mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 pound of medium (51-60 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons of butter (if you are trying to use less fat, you can use all olive oil)
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Clean and chop vegetables and set aside.
2. Clean, peel and devein shrimp. Cut in half. Sprinkle with dash of salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbs butter and 1/2 tbs olive oil over medium high heat. I like to use a medium sized stock pot for this recipe. Once melted and bubbly, add veggies. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add more olive oil if needed (depends on how much the mushrooms soak up). Remove veggies to a bowl and set aside.
4. Melt 1 tbs butter in the same pan. Add 1 cup of arborio rice and toast in the butter for 3 -4 minutes. Be careful not to burn the rice.
5. Add veggies back into the pan with the rice. Add 1 cup of wine. Stir constantly until all of the liquid is absorbed. Then, add 1 cup of chicken stock and stir until absorbed.
6. Next, add final cup of chicken stock. When mixture starts to come back up to temperature and bubble, add shrimp. Stir until liquid is almost all absorbed. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add red pepper flakes to taste if desired. Cover, turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes. The rice will be al dente in a creamy sauce.

Serves 4