Instant Pot Risotto with Gruyère, Ham, and Peas #recipe and #giveaway from #KimDavis

KIM DAVIS:  Needing to eat gluten-free while dining out at a restaurant, if available, I always gravitate toward ordering risotto. There's something so comforting about the dish, and even though it's basically rice, cheese, and some add-ins, the final product seems elevated somehow. I've made risotto a few times the "old-fashioned" way, laboriously stirring the arborio rice in a pot on the stovetop, slowly adding ladles of hot broth until the creamy starch is released from the rice and it's cooked through. Time-consuming and labor-intensive, I rarely made the dish. Then I heard about using an Instant Pot for risotto, and while skeptical, decided to give it a try. The results were just as good as trying to cook it stovetop, and instead of waiting an hour for dinner to get on the table, this takes maybe 20 minutes to make. Now when I'm in a hurry to fix a quick dinner, I often make Instant Pot risotto. Plus, it's versatile when it comes to the add-ins: any precooked protein and veggies can be used. I've made mushroom risotto, shrimp and asparagus risotto, and chicken and broccoli risotto, and they've all been equally delicious! 

Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out how you can win one of my audiobooks! 

Instant Pot Risotto with Gruyère, Ham, and Peas

 
Ingredients
 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups (1 quart) low sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
2 cups cooked ham, diced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup Gruyère, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

 
Instructions
 
In the base pot of the Instant Pot, add the olive oil, diced onion, and sea salt. Turn the sauté function on and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir frequently and don’t allow the onions to brown.

Stir in the arborio rice, making sure the onion and oil mixture thoroughly coats the rice.

Carefully stir in the white wine, and cook until the wine is mostly absorbed by the rice, about 1 minute.

Stir in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to keep rice from sticking. 

Switch the sauté function to the pressure cook mode. Lock the Instant Pot lid into place and set the cook time for 5 minutes.

Once the risotto has cooked for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and quick-release the pressure. Use caution as the steam can cause severe burns. 

My granddaughter bought this dragon to fit over the release button on my Instant Pot so that the steam shoots out of its mouth! 

Once the pressure has released, carefully remove the lid, titling it away from you to allow any residual steam to escape. The mixture should look soupy.

Switch the Instant Pot back to the sauté function. Vigorously stirring every 30 seconds or so, cook the rice for 2 minutes uncovered. Add in the 2 cups of diced ham and stir to combine. Continue cooking and stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the risotto is tender but still chewy. It’s okay if the mixture still seems slightly runny. It will thicken with the addition of the remaining ingredients and as it cools. If the mixture becomes overly dry before the rice is cooked through, add in an additional 2 to 4 tablespoons of chicken broth.

Turn Instant Pot off and stir in the Parmesan and Gruyère. 

Once the cheese has melted into the risotto, fold in the peas. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The risotto can easily be reheated in the microwave. If it appears too thick after reheating, add in a bit of chicken broth to thin to desired consistency.

Note

This recipe is quite versatile. You can substitute any pre-cooked protein for the ham, and swap the peas out for any pre-cooked vegetable...just use your imagination and let your taste buds guide you.

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

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About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

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G I V E A W A Y   T I M E !!!

I'm giving away one audiobook, winner's choice, from my Cupcake Catering Mysteries!

Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win your choice of one of the Cupcake Catering Mystery audiobooks. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 and is open worldwide.)

Readers, do you have a particular quick and easy dish that you frequently make?

 

 

Pumpkin Risotto #Recipe by @LibbyKlein #Pumpkin #Thanksgiving

Libby Klein Risotto is one of those things I have had in restaurants that lack a decent gluten-free menu. It seems like some of them go out of their way to add gluten to everything. Steak marinated in beer. Chicken with soy sauce in the gravy. Bread crumbs on everything. Risotto has been the only gluten-free option on some menus. But I would not make it at home for years.

Risotto always sounded like it would be something very complicated and tricky. Restaurants have made it sound like it took a lot of finesse to pull off successfully. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the first risotto I ever made was foolproof and addressed the potential problem areas, but I find this dish to be rather easy. Keep your cooking liquid hot, add it in batches when the risotto cooks down, and test your risotto when you think it's done to be sure the rice has cooked all the way. If you find it's a little hard, add some more hot water/broth and let it cook down some more.

This risotto is perfect for fall, and makes a great vegetarian Thanksgiving dish.

Pumpkin Risotto

4 servings

Ingredients

Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided

12 fresh sage leaves

¼ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped

¼ cup shaved almonds, toasted

2 slices of crispy bacon, chopped

Risotto

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large shallots, diced

4 cloves garlic minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup arborio rice

½ cup white cooking wine

4 cups chicken stock

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ thyme

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Toppings

In a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Then add in the sage leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes or until crispy. Immediately remove from the heat and pour off into a small dish and set aside. I'll assume your bacon, cranberries, and almonds are ready to go.

  

Pumpkin Risotto

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add in the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook slowly for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, golden brown, and beginning to caramelize. 

In a medium pot, heat your stock over medium heat until almost simmering. You don't want it to boil because it will start to reduce and you'll have to add more stock or water.

Add in the rice to the skillet with the shallots and garlic and toast, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Then add in the white wine to de-glaze the pan and make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

  

Add in ½ cup of the hot stock and stir the risotto until the stock is completely absorbed, then add in another ½ cup and repeat. Continue to add in the stock ½ cup at a time until it’s all absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Mix in the nutmeg and thyme. Test your rice to see if it is soft. If not, add a little more hot stock (or hot water if you're out of stock) and let it cook down some more. Once it is soft, stir in the pumpkin puree and parmesan cheese until fully combined and creamy. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Top the pumpkin risotto with the bacon, cranberries, toasted almonds and crispy sage.

For creamier risotto, stir in a splosh of heavy cream before adding the toppings.

Layla Virtue, a blue-haired, 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop is trying to reinvent herself as a musician—between AA meetings, dodging eccentric neighbors at her trailer park, and reconnecting with her mysterious dad—in this ​unforgettable new mystery brimming with hilarity and heart.

Layla is taking her new life one day at a time from the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park she now calls home. Being alone is how she likes it. Simple. Uncomplicated. Though try telling that to the group of local ladies who are in relentless pursuit of Layla as their new BFF, determined to make her join them for coffee and donuts.

After her first career ended in a literal explosion, Layla’s trying to eke out a living as a rock musician. It’s not easy competing against garage bands who work for tacos and create their music on a computer, while all she has is an electric guitar and leather-ish pants. But Layla isn’t in a position to turn down any gig. Which is why she’s at an 8-year-old’s birthday party, watching as Chuckles the Clown takes a bow under the balloon animals. No one expects it will be his last . . .

Who would want to kill a clown—and why? Layla and her unshakable posse are suddenly embroiled in the seedy underbelly of the upper-class world of second wives and trust fund kids, determined to uncover what magnetic hold a pudgy, balding clown had over women who seem to have everything they could ever want. Then again, Layla knows full well that people are rarely quite what they seem—herself included . . .

Libby Klein writes ridiculously funny murder mysteries from her Northern Virginia office with a very naughty calico Persian named Miss Eliza Doolittle, and a sweet black Lab named Vader. She can name that tune for 70s and 80s rock in the first few notes, and she's translated her love of classic rock into her Layla Virtue Mysteries. Libby was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents her from eating gluten without exploding. Because bread is one of her love languages, she includes the recipes for gluten free goodies in her Cape May based Poppy McAllister series. Most of her hobbies revolve around travel, and eating, and eating while traveling. She insists she can find her way to any coffee shop anywhere in the world, even while blindfolded. Follow all of her nonsense on her website www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/

Shrimp Risotto in the Oven #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

 

This is Ina Garten's recipe for baked risotto.  Traditional risotto required you to stand in front of the stove stirring all the while.  I used to follow a recipe from Barbara Kafka in the NY Times (from some time in the 1990s) where you cooked the risotto in the microwave, taking it out every few minutes to stir. (My Italian friend said that was impossible but it worked.)  I thought that was the easiest way to make it until I came upon Ina Garten's baked risotto.  It could not be easier!  To serve this for dinner, I added some shrimp for protein.  I also didn't have white wine so I used a splash of dry vermouth (my go-to when white wine is required) instead.  I found that if you set the cup of peas out before you start, they will heat through completely when you add them in at the end.  This is just the basic recipe.  You can add other sources of protein and different vegetables or leave it plain to serve as a side dish.

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

5 cups simmering chicken stock, divided

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup frozen peas

1 lb. shrimp (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Set peas out to begin thawing.

Sauté shrimp if using.

 

Bring chicken stock to a simmer.

Add rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock to a Dutch oven.

 

Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Dice butter.

 

Remove rice from oven, add remaining cup of chicken stock, Parmesan, wine, butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until rice is thick and creamy.

Add the peas and shrimp if using.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Catch up with me on Facebook. 

Instagram: pegcochran

Easy Shrimp Risotto from @MaddieDayAuthor #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here, with another Thanksgiving behind us. I hope yours was filled with delicious food and love and a good book. 

Some of you might still be feasting on leftover turkey and pie today, but maybe you're in the mood for something that ISN'T heavy and doesn't feature root vegetables and butter. You've come to the right place.

I bring you the recipe for a delicious shrimp risotto, and a giveaway!

Shrimp Risotto

This is light and easy, but be aware you'll be stirring most of the time. 

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1 pound shrimp, shelled

1 cup frozen peas, lightly thawed

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan and leave it to simmer.

Saute garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil for no more than one minute on a medium heat. 

Add rice to pan and stir to coat completely. Add wine and stir until completely absorbed.

Add one cup stock and stir until completely absorbed. Repeat once. Add last cup, reduce the heat to low, and cover.

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Saute shrimp until all are pink - but just barely. Remove from heat.

These need another minute or two

When rice is nearly cooked, sprinkle peas on top. 

When the rice is cooked, add salt and pepper to taste, cheese, and shrimp, and stir all together. 

Cover and let warm together for one or two minutes. 

(I meant to add fresh parsley and forgot, but it would be a good addition.)

Serve warm with more cheese grated on top if desired.

Readers: What will you be eating today? Perhaps more important, what will you be reading? Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'd love to send one of you a copy of Christmas Scarf Murder to get you in the mood for the next holiday!

🦃🎅🎄

My most recent release is Murder in a Cape Cottage, the fourth Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, which came out in September.

"Scarfed Down," my Country Store novella in the collection Christmas Scarf Murder released the same day.

My next release is Four Leaf Cleaver, out in late January.

Check out all my writing!

We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO

All right, you’ve probably had your fill of Irish recipes and apple recipes lately, so I thought I’d try something different. Here’s one that’s neither Irish nor American: it’s (drumroll please) Australian!

My husband was doing research in Australia in 2005, and I told him that if I couldn’t come along, I’d never allow him to mention the place in my presence again. He gave in. I spent two weeks in Australia, ranging from Sydney to Mount Gambier (on the south coast) and back again. Not in populated areas, although Sydney was delightful, but in open country, where there was about one car per hour on the highways, which boasted signs for koala crossings. I could go on, but there isn’t room. But it was well worth the trip! (And yes, I do have relatives there, if a fourth cousin counts.)

The entrance to the vintage amusement
park on the other side of the harbor

The Troy family plot in the Waverly Cemetery--
my father's grandmother was a Troy

Fruit bats hanging in the trees in Sydney
(they're big!)

We ate in ordinary places, not high-end restaurants. We were invited to dinner at the home of more than one of my husband’s colleagues. I don’t actually remember what we ate, except for the ice cream in one small town, where I sampled several flavors, including bunya nut (no, I have no idea what it is).

Anyway, I bought a cookbook: The Food of Australia: Contemporary Recipes from Australia’s Leading Chefs. Lots of varied and interesting recipes, with pretty pictures. Of course, many of the ingredients aren’t available in the U.S., like yabbies (which seem to be something like shrimp) or tamarillo (known in some places as a tree tomato) or Illawarra plums (a berry that grows on a type of pine tree).  But in many cases it’s easy to find an appropriate substitute.

One recipe that appealed to me is Spinach and Mushroom Risotto. All of the ingredients are available except for the specific varieties of mushrooms, and these days there’s usually a good variety available in local markets. And, despite the title risotto, this is not one of those rice dishes where you have to stand over it and stir for half an hour.

Spinach and Mushroom Risotto

(from The Food of Australia, adapted for local ingredients)

Ingredients:

4 thin slices of pancetta or prosciutto

7 Tblsp olive oil

2 large onions, diced into half-inch pieces

5 cloves garlic

2 cups Arborio rice (this is the best choice for any risotto)

4 pounds brown mushrooms

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

chopped fresh basil (to taste)

salt and pepper, to taste

12 oz. fresh spinach, blanched (do not overcook!)

Mushroom stock: you can make it yourself, or try to find a prepared version (which is what I did).

4 Tblsp olive oil

2 onions, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic

2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 pounds sliced mushrooms, washed, drained and chopped

4 cups vegetable stock

Instructions:

To prepare the mushroom stock, heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the onions, garlic and thyme until the onions are transparent. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute until they begin to release their juice.

Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock (discard the vegetables).

Of just buy a box of the stuff at your supermarket.

For the risotto:

Note: I made a half-recipe, which still seemed like a lot of risotto! I’m not sure I own a pan large enough to make a full recipe.)

Optional garnish: Lay the pancetta or prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes, to make them crisp. Crumble them into fair-size pieces, since this is a garnish only. But they do add a splash of color and a bit of crunch.

Heat the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until transparent, then add the rice and toss to coat the grains with olive oil.

Add the brown mushrooms (whole or chopped into large pieces, depending on their size) and mushroom stock and stir gently. (Note: mushrooms vary widely in flavor. Brown mushrooms have become widespread in stores, but I can’t swear that they taste like the Australian variety. But whatever you do, don’t use the bland white ones, which have next to no flavor.)

Cover the pan with waxed paper and simmer over medium-low heat until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through (taste a few grains—they should be chewy but not crunchy). Look, no endless stirring! (Yet another note: when you mix all these together, there seems to be very little liquid to cook the rice. Don’t worry, the mushrooms will release some liquid, and it all works out in the end.) It took my mixture about 25 minutes until the rice was soft.

Add the Parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper (taste!). Finally, fold in the spinach.

Garnish with the pancetta/prosciutto and an exotic mushroom (if you have any).

Coming next week! By the end of this week it should be up on most sites for pre-order in both print and e-book formats.

And there's jacket copy!

Winter still has a firm stranglehold on the small town of Granford, and newly married orchard owner Meg Chapin is restless to begin her spring pruning and planting, while Seth busies himself with a new project of his own. But their relative peace is shattered when a gunshot breaks the winter silence and they discover the body of a dead woman on their land. What’s just as troubling is that the state police have hushed up the murder and are warning Meg not to investigate.

Never one to sit by idly with a killer on the loose, Meg starts digging for clues and probing for answers as discreetly as she can. When the victim turns out to have been an undercover reporter doing a story on the blossoming trade in illegal drugs in the area, Meg’s stunned to learn that this very modern crime has come to sleepy Granford. Deciding that this particular seed of evil hits too close to home, especially for a murder that occurred literally in her own backyard, Meg is determined to nip it in the bud before the town she knows and loves turns rotten . . .

www.shailaconnolly.com