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Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Chorizo and Asparagus

Hello, Hello! Happy Sunday! How was everyone week?! If you are over here on the east coast I hope you are all still taking advantage of this amazing weather we are still having! It's so crazy, but I am NOT complaining in any way. I am such a baby when it comes to being cold so I am really trying to do as much as I can outside before I freeze my toes off.

Anyways, I have been cooking and baking quite a bit lately but I haven't had the chance to take pictures or post about them so hopefully that will change and I will be more of stickler with my camera and get snapping. I'd really like to practice taking really nice shots with what I make. That being said, please excuse the horribly focused and lighted pictures used to show this dish. The camera on my cell phone just does not do this dish justice. IT IS AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!

I had some chorizo left over from this venison chili I made for my pops and wanted to use it somehow. So i rummaged through the cabinets and fridge and came up with this. It's really simple because the risotto is made by cheating and from a box. I have made risotto before and well, this taste just as good and is much easier!

I LOVE Lundburg's. It is quick and easy and has the amazing smooth and creamy texture of real risotto. I shouldn't say real. I guess this is real risotto just made in a simpler method :).

 Before I make the rice, I saute the chorizo that I took out of the casing in a little bit of olive oil until nice and brown. I mash it a little with a wood spoon to get nice bit size pieces. Then remove them from the pan and cooked the rice in the same pan to pick up all the flavor of the chroizo. ( MMM! I'm getting excited thinking about this!) I steamed the asparagus in the microwave covered with plastic wrap for a quick 2 minutes and chopped it and tossed it with the chorizo back into the risotto once that was finished cooking.

The whole this takes about 30 minutes max and is quite an impressive side dish to any meal. Obviously It would accompany certain foods better than others. However a friend of mine made this with an Asian stir fry and heck it was just as great!

I hope you enjoy! Check back soon for my red velvet cupcakes! :)

Creamy Parmesan Risotto

w/chorizo & asparagus

• 1 box Lundburg's Creamy Parmesan Risotto                                            
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Splash of white wine, or chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups of water
• 2 chorizo sausage links, removed from casing and chopped finely
• 6-8 asparagus stalks, bottoms removed

1. In  a medium pot, or large saucepan pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the chopped chorizo and saute until nice and brown.
2. Remove and let sit on plate with a paper towel.
3. In the same pot, add a splash of white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to lift all of the flavor.
4. Mix the flavor packet with 2 1/2 cups of water.
5. Add 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil and pour the packet of rice into the pot.
6. Saute for a minute or two, tossing it in the olive oil and allowing it to pick up the chorizo flavor.
7. Pour the water and seasoning mixture into the pot stirring the rice.
8. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. While simmering the rice, set asparagus in a microwave safe dish with a splash of water and cover with plastic wrap.
10. Microwave for 2 minutes, less or more depending on size of asparagus. Let sit for a 1 minute and remove plastic wrap and set on paper towel.
11. Once cool chop into small pieces and set aside.
12. Once rice has absorbed most of the liquid, around 20 minutes, stir in chorizo and asparagus and remove from heat.

Try not to eat the whole thing yourself. It's that good!