Asparagus & smoked salmon risotto

Risotto is my total comfort food. If I was on an island, and could only have one thing..I would be a risotto.

Be prepared...it involves constant attention, and lots of stirring. Those packets in the store that are ready made "risotto" are a farce...you can only make it, correctly, from scratch.

One of my favorites...from my own head:

3 T butter
1/2 chopped onion
1 cup aborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups broth (I use veggie)
6 stalks asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
4 oz smoked salmon (I use cracked pepper smokes salmon from Trader Joe's), chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

- In one large pot...a risotto pot, a dutch oven...something big..melt the butter.

- At the same time in another pot, heat the broth until it is warm, and keep it warm..if you ever run out while cooking...add more water.

- Once butter is melted, add onions onions until they are translucent over medium heat, about 5 min. Stirring regularly.

- Add the rice to the onions, and stir until coated with butter and onion mixture. Continue to stir the rice for about 3 minutes until a white dot is clearly visible in the grains.

- To the rice, add the wine...continue to stir until absorbed.

- Now, using a ladle or even a measuring cup, add 2 cup fulls at a time of the broth. Continue to stir, and once it is absorbed, repeat until liquid is gone. Approx. 30 minutes. Keep taste testing until the rice is al dente.

- When the rice is about 5 min from done, add the asparagus.

- Add the parmesan cheese

- Add the smoked salmon

Viola!!

This will serve 2 good size portions.

To double, just double the rice, wine, cheese.

Even little kids will gobble this up!