RISOTTO WITH SPINACH AND PINE NUTS (RISTORANTE LA BRISA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pine nuts in one layer in oven-proof dish, and place in oven for 15 minutes until they become golden. Remove and cool to room temperature.
• In another pot, heat 4 cups water and cook spinach until limp. Remove, drain, squeeze dry and chop finely.
• In a pot, heat chicken stock to boiling, lower heat and keep at gently rolling boil.
• In a frying pan, heat 1 1/2 table spoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add rice and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until rice is warm to the touch. Add half-cup of boiling chicken stock, stirring constantly until rice absorbs stock. Add 2 more half-cups of stock in half-cup amounts, again stirring while stock is absorbed. (Liquid should be bubblinggently.) Add spinach at this point, when rice is half-cooked. Stir and mix.
• Add rest of stock, in half-cup amounts (total cooking time of rice is approximately 30 minutes). Five minutes before rice is cooked, add Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of butter, and mix. Just before serving, mix in all but 1 tablespoon of the pine nuts, sprinkling the top with remaining nuts. If desired, add more Parmesan to taste.