Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

Mmmm...creamy risotto. It's surprisingly (at least my version) not too bad for you. It's also a lot easier to make than you would think. You can put almost anything in it after you make the base. Today, I decided to make shrimp and asparagus.

This recipe makes a lot - maybe 4 servings worth? I just made this much because that's how much rice I had left in the box. Feel free to adjust it accordingly.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup of white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- additional water as needed
- 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 bundle of asparagus
- 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- Juice of half a lemon (optional - gives it a "fresh" taste)
- 2 tsp parsley (optional - makes it look prettier)
- 2 tbsp white pepper (optional - gives a little kick)

Directions:
- Prep the asparagus by snapping off the tough ends, drizzling with oil and placing it under the broiler for ~10 minutes or until tender. Then cut the asparagus into bite-size pieces. You can also steam, microwave, grill, etc. Just cook it somehow because it will be added to the risotto at the very end and won't have time to cook in the risotto.
- Prep the liquid by bringing the chicken broth and wine to a boil and keep it on a low simmer for the duration of cooking to keep warm. - Melt the butter in a large pan and soften the onions.
- Add the garlic.
- Add the rice and toast it until the edges are translucent but the middles are still white.
- Add two cups of the liquid and deglaze the pan. Stir the rice and liquid until you can drag your spatula across the bottom of the pan and the rice is slow to fill in the gap.
- Add another cup of liquid and stir until it reaches the same slow-to-fill-the-gap consistency again.
- Keep adding the liquid a cup at a time and stirring to reach the same thick consistency. If you're out of liquid but the rice is still not cooked enough (it should be al dente, but it's really up to your own personal tastes and preferences), keep adding warm water or chicken stock if you have enough.
- When the risotto is almost at the level of done-ness you want it at, add the shrimp (no need to precook, they cook quickly in the risotto), asparagus, lemon juice, white pepper, parsley and any other herbs you like.
- Add the cheese and stir to mix everything.
- Add some salt if necessary (or more cheese if you'd like)
- Enjoy!