Revenge of the Shirt-Staining Risotto

Breakfast totally kept me full today. When I got to work I put together my breakfast post and then did some work emails and accounting. Fun stuff I promise you.

At 12:30 I was ready for some lunch. I packed maybe a cup and a half of pizza risotto, a cup of green beans, a small apricot and a plum. I love this risotto and made a huge batch on Sunday for my lunches this week so you will be seeing it again. I didn't eat the plum. It will probably become a snack later today. Great lunch but it has left me feeling like I could use a nap. That also might have to do with the waking up at 5:40 am...

I also managed to get a HUGE stain on my shirt which is total awesome. I debated going downstairs and buying a new shirt. One of the cool things, or bad things depending on your mind set, about having my office in a mall is that if I totally screwed up my outfit for the day I can fix it pretty quickly. Of course I could also go all of the five blocks home. I will probably just rock the stain.

I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen but I always make some changes and have included the recipe for my variation below. Basically I add some spices that aren't called for cut the meat down, halve the spinach because as much as I love spinach I am not convinced that cooking it is the best way to go, and I don't add butter because I have never understood why risotto needs butter added at the end.

Marj's take on Martha's Tomato and Sausage Risotto by way of Smitten Kitchen

Supposedly this feeds 4 but I get 6 Marj's size servings.

Ingredients

1 28-oz can Diced Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage casings removed
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 bunch spinach (5-7 oz) stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium sauce pan bring the tomatoes, their juices and three cups water to a barely there simmer.

In a small stock pot heat the oil over medium and add the onions, sausage, and spices. Cook breaking apart the sausage until the onion has softened and the meat browned. About 3-5 minutes.

Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes or until well coated. Add wine and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid.

Add about two cups of the tomato mixture and stir rice until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue this process of adding the tomato liquid a cup at a time and stirring until the liquid is absorbed until the rice is cooked. About thirty minutes and you may not need all the liquid.

Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and cheese. Risotto will thicken as it cools.

*This risotto also freezes well.