lazy man’s risotto

½ yellow onion, sliced thinly into strips

2 cloves garlic, smashed whole, skin removed

5 small mushrooms, cut in half and sliced

bottom 2-3” of parsley bunch’s stems, sliced thinly

3 tbsp butter, plus more or olive oil as necessary to sauté well

salt and pepper, to taste

½ or so of red wine, like cabernet sauvignon or anything you have on hand

2 cups beef broth or 1 spoon beef bouillon dissolved in 2 cups water

several sprigs thyme

2 tbsp tomato paste

1.5 cup instant rice

handful parsley leaves, chiffonade

parmesan, microplaned or grated fresh is best

fresh cracked pepper

1. heat butter in sauté pan on medium/medium-high heat until melted and bubbling slightly. sauté onion slices and garlic cloves for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until they begin to soften.
2. next add mushrooms, parsley stems, generous cracking of pepper, and light sprinkling of salt. continue sauteing until mushrooms become dark, grease coated, and begin to soften. add more butter or olive oil as stirring if mixture is not well coated.
3. deglaze pan with wine and cook for 1 minute or so until alcohol smell burns off.
4. plop tomato paste into pan and stir and whisk well to break it up and incorporate into saucy pan.
5. add beef stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a light boil.
6. add instant rice and stir to incorporate fully. mixture should be loose and soupy (not thick) and have enough extra liquid to be able to gently boil for several minutes, bringing instant rice back to life, and cooking it to thick, starchy goodness.
7. stir rice at a low boil for about 10 minutes or so until most liquid has evaporated and rice mixture begins to get thick and gooey. add more water if rice loses too much liquid before desired faux risotto consistency is achieved. rice is done when plump and no longer “al dente” to the bite, sauce is thick and gooey/starchy, and most liquid has evaporated.
8. remove thyme sprigs and garlic cloves before serving.
9. plate in shallow bowls and top with generous grating of parmesan cheese, sprinkling of parsley garnish, and generous cracking of black pepper. serve with crusty bread if you have some around.

see instagram story for full process