Risotto With Mushrooms, Pork And Zucchini

Risotto with grated aged cheddar on top 

The last few months have been a shuffle, I have been staying at a wide variety of friends places in Hong Kong while they have been away on holiday. I am not complaining but I would love to get my own place soon. However with being back at university funds are tight and finding an affordable place in a very expensive city can be difficult, so until I find a place I will be shuffling around a bit. So enough excuses, but that's the reason for the lack of recipes lately (it can be really difficult cooking in other peoples kitchen without your cooking equipment etc). Anyways I was finally able to put a meal together the other day, photograph it and write it down I hope you enjoy.

vegetables for risotto

1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1 cup white white
2 cloves of garlic
4 large shallots
5 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 pound pork tenderloin
1 zucchini
16 shiitake mushrooms
2 large red chillies
5 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
salt & pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1. Mince garlic, finely chop the shallots, discard mushroom stems and slice mushroom caps. Slice zucchini into 1 cm thick rounds and then into 4 pieces. Slice tenderloin into bite-size pieces.

sauteing mushrooms, zucchini and pork 

2. In a pan melt, 2 Tablespoons of butter add half of the minced garlic and 1 Tablespoon of the chopped onion. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and pork to mushrooms and saute another 2 minutes or until pork is cooked. Remove ingredients from pan and set aside.

3. In another pot bring 5 1/2 cups of vegetable stock to boil, and then lower heat.

4. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in the pan, add remaining garlic and onion and saute until translucent. Add arborio rice and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Pour in white wine and stir until absorbed. Add 1/2 cup hot vegetable stock and stir until absorbed, continue adding 1/2 cups of stock at a time until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. You may not need to use all the liquid, or you may need more a little more broth or water.

5. Stir in chopped large red chillies, 1 Tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup grated cheddar, pre-cooked mushrooms, zucchini and pork and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve and top with some of the remaining cheddar.