Recipe: Risotto with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

(photo to come soon)

this is easily my favorite risotto recipe that I've made to date. no, it is not the healthiest, but all that melty cheese over the tangy taste of sun-dried tomatoes makes up for it. plus, i got to put my basil plant to use for something besides pesto!

ingredients:
5 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained with oil reserved
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
1. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. While the stock is heating, drain the sun-dried tomatoes and reserve the oil. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and set them aside.
2. In a large frying pan, warm 2 tablespoons of oil from the tomatoes, add rice to the frying pan and stir until white spots appear in the center of the grains; about 1 minute. Spoon a ladleful of vegetable stock into the frying pan and cook the mixture on low until all the stock is absorbed; about 2 minutes. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Add the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil from the tomatoes, chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well and serve

to make this recipe a little on the healthier side, I used low sodium vegetable broth (my brand of choice is Imagine). I also used Trader Joe's light mozzarella cheese. This cheese is a world apart from the low-fat cheese from Kraft and generic grocery store brands in that it actually tastes like cheese (I often find that other brands taste like plastic).