Risotto(Rice) with tomatoes and spinach! Stove top easy!

Serve sauteed spinach on side if desired.

I have been a little under the weather but did make dinner tonight.  Enjoy!

My intentions today were to make Creamy Risotto with Arborio rice and tomatoes but after checking my pantry all I had was Basmati rice so I improvised this recipe and this is the dish I came up with.  Improvising comes in handy when you think you have all the ingredients to make a dish and find out you don't. lol

Everything about this dish was perfect.  We loved it and considering I adapted it I think you can make it either way.  I'll post my changes after the recipe and will note the ingredient changes with an asterisk*.



 1 bag baby spinach (washed and stems removed)*
2 T butter
2 plum tomatoes (seeded and diced)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 scallions or 1/4 cup sweet onion chopped
1 cup Arborio *Basmati rice
4 cups chicken broth
 2 cut in strips boneless chicken breasts (browned separately in oo)
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Stove top!

If you would like to add the baby spinach do so after all is completely and stir until spinach wilts or saute spinach separately in oo and add.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt 2 T butter.  Add onions and cook until soft.  Add garlic and rice.  Stir constantly, add 1/2cup chicken broth.Watch carefully as rice will start to absorb the liquid.  Continue adding remainder of broth,  1/4 cup at a time until all broth is added.  Reduce heat and cook rice for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

When rice is done, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in remaining butter, spinach and 2 T diced tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with remainder of tomatoes.