Lemon Asparagus Risotto (Fat Free!!)

Recently I asked my readers via Facebook and Twitter what they thought I should have for dinner. (I just could not decide.) It was a chilly day and the options were soup, risotto or pancakes (because I'm obsessed). Most replies begged for risotto. Long story short, we ended up getting take out pizza from Whole Foods... Anyway, I've had this risotto recipe dancing around in my head for about a week and I was getting anxious to try it out. I finally got to it tonight. And, that's right. There is no fat added and it is still delicious!

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

• 8 cups veg. broth + 2 cups
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 lbs. asparagus
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 cup white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• spice blend - I used garlic/shallot/chive/dill/lemon verbena/green onion

Begin by heating the 8 cups of vegetable broth in a sauce pan over medium heat. Keep it on a low simmer. Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cover the bottom with 1 cup of the reserved veg. broth. Add garlic and saute in the broth until soft.

Meanwhile, rinse and trim the asparagus. Cut the spears into about 1/2" pieces. Line a large skillet with the remaining 1 cup of broth. Add asparagus, drizzle lemon juice over top and season with spices. Cover and cook over medium heat until asparagus is soft and bright green.

Once garlic is ready and most of the broth has cooked down, add rice and cook for about a minute. Add a ladle of broth and stir until all broth has been absorbed. Continue adding broth 1 ladle at a time and stir, stir, stir! Don't stop stirring! This may take some time, but don't worry, it will be worth it. Once you have about one more ladle to go, add in the white wine and yes, stir. You may want to taste as you go to check the rice. Once you've finished stirring the broth, add the asparagus pieces to the pot and gently combine with the risotto. Season with salt and pepper.