Rocco’s Real Life Recipes

Rocco DiSpirito is out with a new cookbook just in time for Holiday gift giving.

Rocco’s Real Life Recipes: Fast Flavor for Every Day, is his way of helping the home cook make fast and flavorful meals:

As “Best New Chef” (Food & Wine, 1999) and “America’s Most Exciting Young Chef” (Gourmet, 2000), as well as the star of NBC reality show, The Restaurant (2003), Rocco DiSpirito has developed a loyal following who love his flavorful recipes that can be prepared quickly and with easy to find ingredients. The cookbook is peppered with Rocco’s own thoughts about cooking and short cuts that address the importance of having a judicious mix of fresh and prepared foods to suit today’s busy lifestyle regardless of the occasion. To emphasize this belief, all 175 of Rocco’s favorite recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Rocco was on The Today Show showing off some of his recipes from the book.  He said that he tries to help you out by advising the use of ingredients like rotisserie chicken.  He also mentioned how the purest might be a little annoyed with things like his “risotto” made with pre-cooked rice.  He said first, that is why “risotto” is in quotations and that he wanted to try and find a way to help the home cook make meals for “real life”.  The truth is that most of us just do not have the time to sit and make risotto, so Rocco found a way to get the same sort of creamy flavor without the time investment.

Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons Bertolli® extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 12-ounce package of button mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 2 8.8-ounce packages Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice®, Original Long Grain

• 1/2 cup canned chicken broth

• 1 medium rotisserie chicken (about 3 lbs.), meat removed in large chunks

• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 1 stick butter

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in the oil and allow it to get hot. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 2- 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté, without disturbing, for about 3 minutes, or until they start to get color.

2. Add the wine and cook until it has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until everything is mixed. Add the chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the cheese and butter until rice is creamy. Add chicken to the pan and bring mixture back up to a boil.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley and serve.