Nordstrom Knock-Off

Back when we lived in Dallas, Brent & I discovered the Nordstrom Bistro. It's tucked away in Nordstrom's, and you might not even notice it if you didn't know it was there. The Nordstrom in Houston has a bistro, too. It is amazing! I love it for lunch and dinner. They have very fresh, flavorful, classic bistro food. I'm especially fond of their soups (crab bisque!), salads, and roast chicken with french fries and kalamata aioli. MMMmmmm....

The first time we ate there, we both got the risotto with grilled shrimp & asparagus. It was such a neat dish, and I knew I could recreate it exactly at home. It is now an absolute staple dish in our house, and Brent will tell you that my version is even better than Nordstrom's. (Theirs is a little runny and not seasoned enough... sorry, Nordstrom.) I promise that making risotto is not hard at all despite what you may hear on TV.

So you should check out the Nordstrom Bistro, but in the meantime... make the knock-off (make that knock-OUT) version of Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto.

Katie's Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 inch segments
1 pound peeled & deveined shrimp
juice of one lemon
1 t. red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 c. uncooked Arborio rice
3-4 c. chicken stock
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Combine shrimp, 2 T. olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, garlic, parsley, and shrimp in a small bowl. Toss to combine and let marinate in fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop onion and saute in a bit of olive oil over medium high heat.

Saute asparagus in a small pan with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes over medium high heat. Asparagus can cook while you get the risotto going, but it only needs to saute for 10 minutes or so. When it's crisp-tender, just turn off the heat and reserve for later.

Once the onions are sauteed, add the Arborio rice and stir. Toast the rice with the onions on medium high heat for 2 minutes or so.

Then begin adding one cup of chicken stock at a time - just enough to cover the risotto. Continue to cook the risotto and broth at medium high heat. Stir frequently.
When most of the broth has been absorbed and the rice is looking "dry", add more broth, one cup at a time. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to babysit the risotto and stir it every second. You just need to stir it every once in a while. You'll be standing by the stove to cook the asparagus and shrimp anyway so you can stir it then.

Pull shrimp out of marinade and grill at high heat on a grill pan (or just a skillet would work as well). I like my shrimp crispy, so I let them cook a while and keep turning them to get brown bits.

After you've added all the broth and it's been absorbed by your Arborio rice, it should have a somewhat thick, creamy consistency. The rice should be soft but still with a chewy bite. Remove from heat and add your Parmesan. Yum, yum.

It's time to plate up your risotto! I like to serve mine in a pasta bowl. Mound the risotto in the bowl and top with asparagus and grilled shrimp. With this recipe, you won't even want to go out to dinner.