Creamy Mushroom Risotto...The Daring Cooks March 2010 Challenge

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of Melbournefoodgeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge daring cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian master chef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf. This is my first Daring Cooks challenge and I just got it done! I am very excited and also pleased with the outcome. One of the requirements for the challenge is to make homemade stock which is my previous post. I made the homemade stock ahead and so it was quit easy to make the risotto last night. I was trying to decide between lemon and mushroom risotto but my family requested mushroom. So here it it:

Ingredients:
For Risotto Base:

4 TBS Olive Oil
1 small Onion, diced
1 3/4 Cups Risotto Rice
4 TBS White Wine
4 Cups Homemade Stock, I ended up using more than 4 cups, so please adjust till the rice is tender.

For the mushroom Flavor:

1 Cup sliced Baby Bella and Shitake Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 TBS butter
1 tsp minced Garlic
salt to taste

Have your ingredients ready to go.
I used this kind of rice from Walmart. Cost $7.00.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the onions and fry for a few min to flavor the oil.
Add rice and stir a few min to coat each grain with oil and toast slightly. Add wine and let it evaporate.
Add enough homemade stock to cover the rice (~1 in).
Cook on Medium heat stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Repeat this step till rice is tender but make sure to leave about 1/2 Cup stock aside for the final step. This is the base.
Have your mushrooms ready. I sauteed mine in garlic and butter before adding to base.
Add the mushrooms.
Add Parmesan cheese. Stir and add the final 1/2 Cup stock. Salt to your taste. Leave it a lil runny since it will thicken.
> Risotto is ready!
I served mine with Blackened Fish. DELICIOUS!!!