This was terrific.  You make the seafood risotto part separately so I fed that to the kids with white rice before mixing the risotto together – the seafood risotto was fantastic but too exotic for them!  The kiddos seem to do well with the rule of 7 – by the time we’ve stuck something in front of them 7 times they love it.  1 down, 6 to go.

Easy Seafood Risotto (recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas, recipe used with permission, book to be released in June 2012, to buy the book click here)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion or shallot, minced (I used 1 large onion when I doubled it)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tableespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup crushed tomatoes
A dash of cayenne pepper (this added a great kick to it)
2 cups cooked mixed seafood such as small shrimp, mussels, baby scallops, or calamari (when I doubled it I used 1/2 lb scallops and 1 lb shrimp, not sure how many cups it was but it worked well)
2 cups cooked plain Arborio rice, hot
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.  Add the vinegar and cook a further minute.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and cayenne, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook until thickened and somewhat reduced, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the seafood and continue cooking until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat, stir in the rice and parsley, and serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings (I doubled this and were no leftovers)

Enjoy the Easy Seafood Risotto! Let me know what you think…