Tarragon Risotto with Caramelized Onions & Chicken

As can be seen by the lack of posting in the last week, I've been slacking in the kitchen. I just haven't had the inspiration, ya know? I have to get back in the swing, so I opted for risotto tonight. Usually I do mushroom or beet or sweet potato risotto, but I didn't have/ want those things. I searched allrecipes.com for some inspiration and came up with the following meal. The chicken really made the recipe- without it the recipe would be bland, but overall it wasn't super fantastic- just quite good. Next time I might step up the tarragon (fresh rather than dried) and more parmesan.


Tarragon Risotto with Caramelized Onions & Chicken
Recipe inspired by allrecipes.com

• 1 or 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
  
• 1 Onion
  
• 2-4 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  
• Olive Oil
  
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic
  
• 1 1/2 C. Arborio (Risotto) Rice
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• 5-6 C. Chicken Broth, heated
  
• 1-2 tsp. Dried Tarragon
  
• Dashes of Basil, Thyme, and Black Pepper
  
• 1/4 C. Grated Parmesan
  
• 1/4 C. Frozen Peas

1. Cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Put chicken pieces in a microwavable covered container or in a stove top pan, covering meat with water. Cook meat until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes on high if using microwave. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Slice onion into very fine strips. In a small saute pan with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, cook onion over medium heat for approx. 15 minutes to caramelize. Onions will have a nice brown color, but will not be burnt.
   
3. Pour balsamic vinegar onto onions, stirring. Allow to sit until later.
   
4. Crush and chop garlic cloves. In a large saucepan, heat 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add almost all of the garlic to the saucepan to saute. (The remaining garlic can be added to the water to cook the chicken. Sorry, I know that's out of order.)
   
5. Before the garlic burns, add in the rice and stir to coat with olive oil. Turn heat down to medium/ medium-low. Allow to sit for about 1 minute on the heat, stirring often.
   
6. Pour in wine and stir. The wine should simmer and bubble and start to cook off. As the liquid diminishes, pour in chicken broth about 1/2 C. at a time, stirring often.
   
7. Continue to simmer, stir, and add liquid until the rice is al dente & creamy, about 30-45 minutes. Half way through cooking, stir in herbs. Just before finished cooking, stir in chicken and peas.
   
8. When completely cooked, stir in parmesan cheese, getting it melty. Serve hot, adding more parmesan on top if desired.