Shiitake & Sweet Peas risotto

One of my favorite cuisines is Italian.  I really should have been born an Italian - everything tastes delicious with a little bit (or a lot) of garlic and olive oil.  They have pastas, cheeses, wines, tiramisu, canolis, porcinis, truffles, prosciutto, and of course gelato.  One of my favorite dishes, is risotto.  Many people are intimidated by it but if I can make it, anyone can make it.
I love this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine because it's relatively healthy compared to other risottos by using fat free/low sodium chicken broth.  Only 1 tablespoon of butter is used, and I put in 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

from Cooking Light Magazine (recipe)

The only thing is, it's time consuming.  It took me an hour and a half from prep to finish.  I also suggest cooking the mushrooms (a later step in the recipe) first so you have it ready.  Otherwise you have to stir the risotto and cook the shiitake at the same time...that requires too much coordination on my part.

The risotto comes out great each time.  Make sure to use fresh thyme - it's really the star of this dish and goes well with the shiitake and green peas.

Buon Apetito!