May 7, 2010 (Updated March 22, 2023)

Austin or Bust!

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

17 comments

Happy Friday, friends!

We just arrived in Austin!! So excited. Thanks for all your awesome recommendations — Turner, Kris, and I can’t wait to explore and eat our way through the city 😉

I flew out of BWI this morning, so last night after my Anatomy & Physiology final (thank god that’s over with! 2 down, 1 more to go — Nutrition on Monday night!), I headed to Baltimore to spend the night with my best friend Jenny from high school 🙂

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Yay! It was great seeing her and so fun to relax, eat, drink wine, gossip, and paint our toenails 🙂 I provided the wine, and she made an awesome dinner for us. I was very impressed!

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She made Parmesan Mushroom Risotto with seared Black Pepper Crusted Yellowfin Tuna. Hot damn!

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Looks like a gourmet restaurant, right?! 🙂

On the side, we had delicious goat cheese, beet, walnut, and spinach salads. Jenny knows my obsession with all things goat cheese and beet 😉

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What an amazing meal! I LOVE black pepper crusted tuna — you literally just roll the raw tuna in a pile of black pepper with a pinch of salt, then sear it quickly in a pan with some cooking spray or olive oil! Easy as that 🙂

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I asked Jenny for the risotto recipe to share with all of you since it was so delicious! I’ve never made risotto before because I always felt like it was complicated, but she swears it’s not!

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Parmesan Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 5-6 medium mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 cup Arborio Rice
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (divided in half)
  • 1/4 cup cream or milk (optional, but makes it nice and creamy)
  • Parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 2-qt saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and Arborio rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes (stir to coat everything). Pour half (1 cup) veggie stock into pan and stir occasionally (to prevent sticking). After initial stock has boiled down (about 10 min?), pour the remaining 1 cup in. After THAT has boiled down, pour in cream (stirring occasionally still to prevent sticking), and once cream has been absorbed/boiled down shake on parmesan to taste (I used approx 1/4 cup). Super easy! Serve hot 🙂

Serve hot!

Jenny said:

I love that risotto is so versatile — it seems like a super fancy dish but is actually just as easy as making regular old rice!

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Yum!

I’m currently rocking out in the Austin baggage claim with Kris! Turner’s flight should arrive in 20 minutes or so. I figured out how to use my phone as a mobile hot spot for my computer — baller!!!

Catch you guys later with Austin shenanigans!! 🙂

Fish + Seafood
- anne

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17 comments
  • Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin
    I think risotto is definitely one of those "Scary" foods that people are afraid to make until they do it and then realize its really not that bad once you get the technique down! That said, I've still never tried it, but I really want to! I wonder if you could do a whole wheat risotto.
    Reply
  • Heather (Heather's Dish)
    can't wait to hear about Austin...it's such a fun town! risotto is one of my favorite things to make when entertaining...it's so easy but seems so fancy!
    Reply
  • claire
    I also can't wait to hear about Austin...I've never been to texas, so I am really interested! I am sure it will be a blast, especially with your best friends! My dad made risotto a lot growing up so I definitely love it but have yet to try making it myself. I should soon though!
    Reply
  • Sharon
    Wow, that meal looks fantastic-that's pretty much all my favorite foods combined in one meal! guess I know what I'll be making for dinner later....have fun in Austin!
    Reply
  • Jen Robinson
    It was super fun having you over and having our romantic meal al fresco hehe. Have fun in Austin!!!
    Reply
  • Kay
    I totally agree about Risotto- in theory everyone thinks it's so hard, but I think as long as you remember to stir, it's all good! I've only made it a few times but so far so good *knock on wood*. Have a great time in Austin!
    Reply
  • Deva (Voracious Vorilee)
    I looooooove beets. I didn't know I liked them until college. Then I realized they were super sweet and earthy and amazing.
    Reply
  • Allie
    wow, jenny's meal looks incredible! can't wait to hear about austin.
    Reply
  • Gracie @ Girl Meets Health
    That does NOT look like a home-cooked meal! I don't think I've ever had homemade risotto, actually. I imagine it's 10x better than at a restaurant! Oh, and let me know how Austin is. I have a cousin who lives there, and my other cousin and I were thinking about visiting her in the Fall. Have so much fun! :)
    Reply
  • Lee
    This is really random, but I think your friend might be a friend of a friend of mine. Did she used to live in Atlanta?
    Reply
    • Jen Robinson
      I did! who is your friend of a friend?
      Reply
      • Lee
        Leigh Ann M. You totally look familiar to me!!
        Reply
        • Jen Robinson
          Oh!! I wouldn't be surprised if we met at some party or something!
          Reply
  • Paula Sparkle
    I can't wait to make this tuna! Thanks, Anne and Jenny! On the risotto, seriously, I would try it - made arborio rice some time ago, even without the cream, and it was delicious! The only thing that's different than regular rice (basically) is that you're supposed to stir the arborio for a while in the last phase of cooking (and maybe add the liquid gradually - something like that). So it's great making while you're entertaining friends in the kitchen !
    Reply