Shrimp, Spinach, & Goat Cheese Risotto

Brandon had been craving risotto for over a week and since I had never made it myself I decided we should try it together. I spent some time looking at recipes online, decided on some ingredients I wanted to use, and Brandon picked them up at Whole Foods. Making risotto is a laborious process, but definitely worth the effort. I alternated arms so I could get buff. Haha. It came out really good. We actually used the juice of a whole lemon, but I adjusted the recipe below because that was a bit too much. You could use fresh dill in place of thyme if you'd like. We will definitely make this again.

Here it is in the pot:

And in the bowl:

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
  
• 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion (about 1/2 medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup white cooking wine
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 5 oz bag of fresh spinach, coarsley chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon
• 2 oz crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:

1. Coat a medium pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes, or until done. Remove from heat and keep warm.
2. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook until nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
3. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed before adding the next. When adding the final 1/2 cup of broth, add shrimp, spinach, thyme, lemon juice, and cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings; about 1 1/2 cups each.