BAKED ARTICHOKE RISOTTO

Artichokes can be intimidating, but don't allow that to happen in your kitchen. They are actually easy to prepare in the end, and the result is always worth it. This recipe uses fresh or frozen hearts of the artichoke. Frozen makes it way easy. Use what you have.

1 small onion, finely chopped.
2 tablespoons of olive oil.
8 oz of mushrooms, quartered.
2 cups of Arborio rice.
12 oz of artichoke hearts (fresh or frozen), quartered.
5 cups of vegetable stock.
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a suitably sized skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and 1 cup of hot vegetable stock. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour the rice mixture into a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Add the remaining broth and stir to combine.

Bake for 1 hour, checking occasionally for dryness. If needed, add a little water to moisten the rice.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, then bake another 10 minutes.

Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 6

“Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke.”~
Bette Davis as Margo Channing in 'All About Eve' (1950)