Melon and Prosciutto Risotto

 Melon and Prosciutto Risotto

(This is from about a week ago. I am happy to report I have now been able to consume sandwiches.)

I'm not really sure what's goin on inside my mouth, but it's pretty much still a war zone in there. I can't eat anything tough yet, and am still pretty much eating baby foods (OK not literally) and soup whenever possible. I'm frankly looking forward to the day I can eat a sandwich as if it were Christmas. I was trying to think of something to make that wasn't soup, so risotto came to mind. People think risotto is something that is very hard to master, but I beg to differ.

Risotto is a classic Italian dish, and will impress everyone. It's not hard, I promise. It takes time and patience, not so much skill. Follow my steps and you will be a master in no time. The recipe I used was from the most recent Bon Appétit magazine. And let me tell you - it was BAWM. The saltiness from the prosciutto cut the sweetness of the melon, coming out to be a delectable dish. We had no left overs.

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable broth (or low sodium chicken stock) 
3 tablespoons butter  
1/2 cantaloupe (peeled, seeded, grated) 
2 shallots, chopped 
1 clove of garlic 
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine 
1/4 cup mascarpone
5 slices prosciutto 
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil   

Directions: 

1. Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a large pan.

2. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium-high heat. 

3. Add the cantaloupe, shallots, and garlic clove; cook, stirring, until liquid is thickened, 8–10 minutes. 

4. Add rice and white wine; cook for 2 minutes. Add broth by 1/2 -cupfuls, stirring often and cooking until liquid is almost absorbed before adding more, until all broth has been added and rice is tender, 25–30 minutes. 

5. Stir in mascarpone and prosciutto; top with thinly sliced basil.