spring risotto-stuffed artichokes with shrimp

Risotto is one of my great loves. Artichokes are another. If I could marry them, I just might. And they're good anytime of the year, but there's something about spring that makes them taste even yummier (perhaps because they're in season?). Anyway, this is my fav spring risotto, taking advantage of some of the great things about spring, stuffed inside whole artichokes, another great thing about spring. Brace yourself: fall comfort foods will hold nothin' on this.

Not up for stuffing anything? Just buy a jar of artichoke hearts instead of whole artichokes. Add them with the other veggies to the risotto after adding broth - they'll cook up while the water is being added. Cook the shrimp as below, and add it to the risotto at the end of cooking, or serve it up on top.

Oh, and I make risotto dairy-free, just because risotto turns out so stinkin creamy & delicious without the cream so it's a place where I can keep our food nice 'n healthy. That said, cream is one of my other great loves, and so please, always feel free to add a good amount of cream to pretty much anything on this blog. Especially risotto. Just substitute about a 1/2 cup of real cream for the water, near the end of cooking.


*the vegetarian version: skip the shrimp

1 cup dry risotto (sometimes called aborio rice)
1.5 cups chicken broth (or 1.5 cups water plus 2 t chicken or veggie bouillon)
1-2 cups warm water
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 stems fresh asparagus
3 leaves of swiss chard
1/2 pound shrimp (U-30 or smaller works best for stuffing; I like U-51/60)
4 whole artichokes
a decent amount of melted butter (if you're going to make me commit to an amount, let's call it 1 stick)

For the risotto (this takes about 40-50 minutes - pour a glass of wine & make a snack):
1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in 1T olive oil just until soft but not browned.
2. Add risotto, stir, and cook 5 minutes, stirring once more.
3. Add broth and stir well. Leave uncovered and stir occasionally until the broth is absorbed.
4. Add the water 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition be fully absorbed before moving on to the next.
5. Once the risotto is plump and soft (but not mushy), stop adding water (the exact amount depends on the cooking temperature and probably on things like humidity - you just have to stop when it "feels" right, sorry)
6. While risotto is cooking, cut asparagus into 2" pieces and chop swiss chard into small pieces.
7. Add asparagus and swiss chard to risotto. Remove from heat.

For the shrimp (do this while the risotto is cooking)
OK, there are 2 ways to do this: the adventurous way and the "I really don't want to make spaghetti again but I'm really not feelin' it with all the fancy stuff" way. I'll give you both, because, well, sometimes I'm simply motivated by my desire to not eat anything with marinara sauce. But the adventurous way isn't much harder and it's WAY better. Anything that gets grilled is better. Period.
1. For the adventurer: peel shrimp and skewer. Grill over medium heat until pink (about 4 minutes per side).
2. For the overwhelmed: Melt 2 T butter in a skillet; add shrimp. Cook, turning occasionally, until pink.
3. Add to risotto.

To stuff the artichokes:
You really won't even miss having a big bowl of butter once you bite into an artichoke stuffed with (hello?!) shrimp! Plus, the butter is hidden here, so it doesn't count if it's not sitting on the side of your plate in a bowl, right? Totally.
1. Rinse the artichokes. Snip the pointy tips off, and cut off the stems (so they have a nice, flat bottom. I wouldn't mind a nice, flat bottom myself, come to think of it. Did I just say that?).
2. Using your fingers or a butter knife, pry the leaves open enough for stuffing, paying special attention to the center. Placing them in the sink and filling with water a couple times helps.

3. Using a small spoon, stuff the risotto & shrimp mixture a little at a time, getting into as many nooks & crannies as possible. (I LOVE that I just got to type "nooks & crannies")

4. Place stuffed artichokes into an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Drizzle (who are we kidding - pour it) the melted butter over the tops. Then pour 1 cup water into the pan.

5. Bake at 350, covered, for 1 hour or until artichoke leaves are soft and pull off easily.
*they can also be cooked on the stove top - bring them to a boil in about 2" water, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, covered.