Photo by LDHNY.

Risotto isn’t as tricky as it seems; at heart it’s a one-pot meal. Keep the ingredients ready and then add them one by one to the pot. If you find you’ve run out of stock and your rice still isn’t cooked, just use some boiling water. And if you want to include other Spring vegetables, asparagus, fava beans, or peas would work well. Saute them with a little olive oil and then throw them in at the end when you’re seasoning.

Mushroom risotto

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
few sprigs thyme, picked
1 cup Arborio or other risotto rice
Splash of dryish white wine
2-3 cups of stock (chicken, vegetable, water if times are tough)
salt and pepper to taste
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon butter
Grated Parmigiano or other aged cheese

1.  Add the oil and the mushrooms to a hot pan and cook until the water the release has mostly evaporated
2. Turn the heat down a little and add the onion, garlic and thyme, and sweat until translucent
3. Add the rice, allow to toast a little, then add the wine
4. When most of the wine has boiled down, add the hot stock a little at a time, stirring until the rice is cooked
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add the butter, zest, some cheese, and serve.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.