Mediterranean 3 Grain Risotto

Like most pre-schoolers, our little critics love pasta and rice, and almost any other grain we put in front of them. Their second favorite, right behind Mac-n-Cheese, is Risotto. Sure, it's tedious to cook, but the results are always creamy and delicious.

Here is a little twist on regular Arborio rice based risotto.

Ingredients
(makes 5 servings)

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 celery stalk, diced
2 chicken breast (approx. 1 lb), cubed
1 1/2 cup 3 Grain Riso Gallo Rice (also marketed as Riso Bello Rice)*
4 cups hot chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup tomato puree (crushed tomatoes)
1/2 tsp marjoram, dried
1/2 tsp oregano, dried
1/4 tsp thyme, dried
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup quartered mushrooms
40 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

-Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet; add onion and celery and sauté until softened.
-Add chicken and cook until white on all sides.
- Add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 1 cup of hot broth, tomato puree, marjoram, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir frequently.
- As broth evaporates, add more broth, 1 cup at a time.
- When rice is almost al dente, and there is 1 cup of broth leftover, add red pepper and mushrooms. Keep stirring until all broth as evaporated. Add more broth if needed. (red pepper and Mushrooms will be cooked but a little firm, if you want them more cooked, then add them earlier on, but they will be less flavorful).
- Stir in parmesan and stir 1 minute and serve.

* To make your own 3 grain risotto mix: 1/2 cup Arborio or Carnoli rice, 1/2 cup pearl Barley, 1/2 cup Spelt (Epautre in french).

Tips
- You can substitute Mushrooms and/or peppers for some of your favorite veggies. Nutritional Data shouldn't be much different.

Nutritional Data
1 serving
8 WW points
408 cal
8.7 g fat
4.4 g fiber
43.5 g carbs
37.7 g protein