The best Risotto EVER! Shrimp and Brocoli Risotto

First of all, I just started making risotto about a year ago. Since the first time....I fell in love. Risotto is so amazing in many ways. It is so versatile. It is so creamy and filling. I love it. I would love to make a wild mushroom risotto, but my husband hates mushrooms. Anyway, my four year old daughter even asks for risotto. I bought shrimp this week and decided to try to make it into a risotto. Not to mention, I tried to make my own shrimp stock. I just have to say. This rocked. (Not to toot my own horn.) Enjoy!

Shrimp Stock

3 Quarts of water

1 whole head of garlic, cut in half

2 onions (cut in wedges and throw it in the pot, don't need to take the skin off)

2 carrots

All of the shrimp casings, heads and tails

salt and pepper to taste

Boil all together for 2 hrs.

My Shrimp and Broccoli Risotto

2 TB olive oil

2 onions (smaller yellow onions, about 1 cp.chopped)

2cps Risotto rice, Arborio

1/2 cp. white wine

4-6 cps. stock (The stock must be hot)

1/2 cp butter

1 1/2 cp. parm cheese ( I used fresh Parm in a chunk and grated it myself)

1 15 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes (Hunts)

salt and pepper

3cps. chicken stock

1 cp. Broccoli

1lb shrimp

1. Heat the oil in a pan on Medium-High heat. Toss the onions in the oil. (You want to hear a sizzle). Add the rice and cook for about a minute. Add the wine and cook for another minute.

Add the stock one ladle at a time. Stir. You must stir the entire time. Add another ladle after each ladle has been absorbed by the rice. When it reaches the consistency that you enjoy add the diced tomatoes and let this absorb into the rice. Add the butter and parm. and stir. This will help make the consistency even more creamy. YUMMY

2. While you are preparing the risotto. Boil about 3cps. of chicken stock and add the Broccoli and Shrimp. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the shrimp turns pink.

3. When risotto is at the consistency that you like add the shrimp and Broccoli and serve right away.

Orange Cajun Salmon

Finally the summer is here! It has been in the upper eighties for the last two weeks in FL. I need refreshing, fresh, and satisfying meals. Plus, I must admit with the crazy economy I am trying to cut back on my grocery spending. This is a cheap but so yummy.

Try it yourself....ENJOY

Orange Cajun Salmon

1 1/2lbs of salmon

3 Tb. Cajun seasoning

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. oil

1/3 cp. orange marmalade

The juice of one lemon

1. Combine the Cajun seasoning and brown sugar in a small bowl. Rub it onto the salmon.

2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the fish (flesh side first) done on the hot oil. (2-3 minutes per side) Pull the fish out of the pan (It does not need to be cooked all the way. It will continue to cook in the marmalade.

3. Add the marmalade and lemon juice to the sauce pan and mix it. When it is melted add the fish back into the pan flesh side down. Cook until caramelized and cooked through (3-4 min)

I served this with fresh corn on the cob from the farmers market and my honey mustard potatoes.

My Honey Mustard Potatoes.

6 potatoes, cut in wedges

2 onions

salt and pepper

1/4 cp. of honey mustard salad dressing

1. Turn the oven to 420. Add the potatoes, onion, salt, pepper and oil. Toss to coat.

Bake for about 40 min. I like them brown and crispy. You showed check them and flip.

2. As soon as they come out of the oven toss the potatoes in the dressing.