Creamy Chicken Risotto

I used to make this cheaty meal that was a box of rice pilaf, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a can of chicken.  With a side of broccoli, it was one of my favorite things when I didn't really want to cook.

I can't deal with that much salt anymore.  The dish tastes fantastic because there's at least 50% of your RDA of sodium in it.  This was also back when I used to get a lot of migraines.  Drastically cutting my sodium and replacing it with a higher-fiber diet fixed that.  I'm not saying that will cure all migraines, but it worked for me.  I now only get a couple a year, which is the only reason I've stuck with the diet.

This is a from-scratch, reduced sodium version of that chicken and rice casserole.  I left in the can of chicken, but you could substitute any shredded chicken or turkey you might have in the freezer.  There's salt in the canned mushrooms too, but you do need some salt in this dish.  It's an essential nutrient and makes food taste good.

I chose arborio rice instead of a wild or pilaf mix because I have some, and I really do like the stuff.  Yes, it takes a while to cook.  So do wild and pilaf mixes.  They just take less effort.

The creamy, tan result isn't exactly the stuff of professional food photography, so I threw in half a box of frozen artichoke hearts instead of having a vegetable on the side.  A super closeup with a light sprinkling of chopped parsley might sneak past an editor.  I just put it in my pasta bowls because they're darker and you can see it better than on a white plate.

1 Tb olive oil
*1/2 C diced onion
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1/4 tsp dried sage
*1 C arborio rice
*2 Tb sherry or white wine (optional)
*3 C chicken stock
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms
*1 9.75 oz can chicken or 1-1/2 C shredded chicken
1/2 C milk
*1 C frozen vegetable of choice
*1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a saucepan, heat chicken stock to a low simmer.  Put a ladle in it and keep warm.

2.  Heat oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sage and cook until fragrant, another minute or two.

3.  Add arborio rice to the soup pot.  Cook until lightly toasted, stirring a bit.  Add the wine, if using, and allow to absorb/burn off.

4.  Start ladling in the hot stock about 1/2 C at a time.  Stir to distribute evenly and allow it to be absorbed into the rice before adding more.  It's going to take 20-30 minutes to add all of it.  You don't want to submerge the rice grains, just get them very damp.

5.  Add canned mushrooms, with the water if desired.  Stir in chicken and veggies.  The mixture is going to be thick and a little dry if you opt out of the mushroom juice.  Start stirring in the milk slowly, allowing the rice to absorb it.  You might not need all of the milk if you reach a consistency you like.  Stir in the cheese.

6.  Taste the risotto.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon up into bowls, and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Difficulty rating  :)