red pepper and fresh basil risotto with portabella mushrooms
(serves 4)

4 large portabella mushroom caps, washed and patted dry
1 cup risotto rice (italian arborio rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
3 cups broth (chicken broth, veggie broth, "no chicken broth"
              you can mix some white wine with the broth, too, no more than 30%)
1/2 cup ribbons of fresh basil (cut with your kitchen shears) 
	(reserve 8 nice small basil leaves for garnish if desiered.)	
1 red pepper, cut into 1"x 1/4" pieces 
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesean or romano cheese 


slather the portabella mushroom caps with olive oil.  grill them.

throw the oil or butter into a medium saucepan with the rice.  stir
around the rice until it is evenly coated with the oil/butter.

add about 1/4 c. of the broth, stirring constantly.  (hello, welcome
to risotto, you will be stirring constantly for the next 20 minutes or
so.)  add the red peppers.  now, add more broth 1/4 c. at a time.
when you get near the end, start tasting the rice for doneness.  you
should have an amazingly creamy rice mixture by the end.

when the rice is FINALLY done, take it off the heat.  add the basil,
fold in well.  add the parmesean, stirring well and quickly to even
coat the rice and peppers with the cheese as it melts.

nuke the portabellas to reheat them, unless you have a helper who was
grilling them while you were finishing the risotto.  

assembly:

make a mound of risotto on each plate.  place a whole mushroom cap on
the top of the mound of risotto.  sprinkle with those basil leaves you
saved for garnish.  serve. enjoy!