Seafood Risotto

This reminds me of a poor man's paella - the same seafood and saffron flavors without the highly fattening (yet highly delicious) chorizo. While I opted to make this on a cool fall night, thinking its creamy nature would give that hearty fall feeling (and it didn't disappoint), I wouldn't hesitate to make this dish in the summer too as its paella-like qualities also make me think of steamy Spain and sangria!

I modified this recipe just a bit, rather than bay scallops I opted for sea scallops. This is just a personal preference as cooking with bay scallops can be difficult. Due to their small size it is VERY easy to overcook them. Within seconds you go from yummy scallop to rubber scallop.


2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces bay scallops
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Bring broth and clam juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and saffron to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice to pan; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup hot broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 18 minutes total).

3. Stir in tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Stir in shrimp and scallops; cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp and scallops are done, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cream. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 400 (23% from fat); FAT 10.1g (sat 4.9g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 118mg; CALCIUM 89mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.1g; SODIUM 520mg; PROTEIN 30.2g; FIBER 2.6g