SW Saffron Chicken & Mushroom Risotto

When eating a good risotto, I always feel like it’s a very indulgent dish and normally it’s with good reason too.

Risotto is generally made with the finest olive oils, lashings of butter and of course, let’s not forget that good splash or two of good quality white wine.

You would be right to feel that this is not the greatest dish to be eating if you are on a diet or a healthy eating plan but with a few little swaps and changes, there is no reason that you cannot enjoy your favourite risotto even when you are counting the calories.

This very creamy Saffron Chicken & Mushroom Risotto is the ultimate comfort food and is so easy to make. It may even become your go-to dish for entertaining friends or just to immerse yourself in whilst cosying up on the sofa watching your favourite box set.

The basics of this dish are good quality arborio risotto rice, 2 chicken breasts, pre-cooked and shredded or sliced into bite-sized pieces and thickly cut mushrooms as you will still want to have a textured bite when cooked.

This risotto uses a wine stockpot to give that lovely wine flavour hit without actually using wine. Stock for the risotto can be made up with your favourite good-quality chicken stock.

Remember, if you use a good quality stock, you will end up with a good quality risotto.

How to make this dish.

Bring a pot of chicken stock to a boil then reduce t a simmer. Meanwhile, bring a large frying pan to saute pan to medium-high heat.

Spray the base of the pot with One-Cal or Fry-Light cooking spray oil and add the diced onions and fry off until the onions have become soft and translucent.

Note: If the pan becomes a little dry, loosen off with a little of the stock.

Add the crushed garlic and the wine stockpot to the onions and stir until the stockpot has fully melted and is well combined with the onions.

Add the rice and stir well to combine with the wine stockpot, taking time to ensure that all the rice has been coated with the sauce then add 1/4 tsp of saffron colouring and continue to stir through.

If you don’t have any saffron, try a 1/4 tsp of turmeric as this will give that lovely golden yellow colour also.

Turn up the heat and add the sliced mushrooms to the pot, stir well to combine.

The mushrooms will start to release some moisture and the rice will start to soak this up and take on that lovely flavour of the mushrooms.

Add the stock to the pan, one ladle at a time, stirring through and waiting until the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock.

Note: As the rice soaks up the chicken stock it will start to release its starch and the rice will start to become lovely and creamy.

Continue to add stock until the rice has become cooked through but still firm to the bite.

Add the sliced chicken breast and stir to combine and warm the chicken through.

Note: If the texture of the rice is becoming a little thick, simply add a little more stock if you need to.

To cream up the risotto even more you can add two tablespoons of low-fat Crème Fraiche, stir through to combine and serve.

Note: If you do not have crème fraiche, use low-fat natural Greek yoghurt instead.

SW Saffron Chicken & Mushroom Risotto

Recipe by Steve WalkerCourse: Chicken, Featured, Lunch, Main Course, Mediterranean, Rice Dishes, Slimming Recipes, SW Recipes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium chicken breasts (cooked, shredded or sliced).

• 1 medium onion (finely diced)

• 2 Garlic cloves (crushed or grated)

• 1 Wine stockpot

• 150g sliced mushrooms (thickly sliced)

• 1 cup of Arborio risotto rice.

• Saffron strands/colouring or ground turmeric

• 1 1/5 Litre Chicken stock

• Fry-Light or One-Cal spray oil

• 60g Parmesan cheese (grated)

• Sea Salt

• Cracked black pepper

• Chopped Parsley

• A few spring onions to garnish.

Directions

• Bring a pot of chicken stock to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, bring a large frying pan to saute pan to medium-high heat.
• Spray the base of the pot with One-Cal of Fry-Light cooking spray oil and add the diced onions and fry off until the onions have become soft and translucent.
  
  Note: If the pan becomes a little dry, loosen off with a little of the stock.
• Add the crushed garlic and the wine stockpot to the onions and stir until the stockpot has fully melted and is well combined with the onions.
• Add the rice and stir well to combine with the wine stockpot, taking time to ensure that all the rice has been coated with the sauce then add 1/4 tsp of saffron colouring and continue to stir through.
• Turn up the heat and add the sliced mushrooms to the pot, stir well to combine.
  
  The mushrooms will start to release some moisture and the rice will start to soak this up and take on that lovely flavour of the mushrooms.
• Add the stock to the pan, one ladle at a time, stirring through and waiting until the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock.
  
  Note: As the rice soaks up the chicken stock it will start to release its starch and the rice will start to become lovely and creamy.
  
  Continue to add stock until the rice has become cooked through but still firm to the bite.
• Add the sliced chicken breast and stir to combine and warm the chicken through.

  
  Note: If the texture of the rice is becoming a little thick, simply add a little more stock if you need to.

Notes

• To cream up the risotto even more you can add two tablespoons of low-fat Crème Fraiche, stir through to combine and serve.
• If you do not have crème fraiche, use low-fat natural Greek yoghurt instead.
• If you don’t have any saffron, try a 1/4 tsp of turmeric as this will give that lovely golden yellow colour also.
• If the pan becomes a little dry, loosen off with a little of the stock.