I fully admit that we used a complete meal idea from a recent episode of Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals. Therefore, I will not re-post the recipes here, but rather post the links, break down how to do it in 30 minutes (since the recipes themselves don’t really explain that), break down the ingredients for each part, and show off some pictures. 
Sweet Pea Risotto:
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine (rule of thumb: don’t use a white wine you wouldn’t drink by the glass)
- 1 cup of sweet peas (defrosted)
- 1/2 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint leaves
- handful of flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
Start the pan for the risotto first, and preheat your broiler. Then, as it’s heating up, start chopping whatever you can. Follow the recipe found here.
Between stirring/adding stock, however, start on your grilled baby vegetables.
These have a nice bite to them but are very juicy and flavorful. To wash the mushroom caps- remove the stems (you can reserve these to make stock)- you want to just use a wet papertowel to wipe them clean of dirt. If you rinse them under cold water, they will turn rubbery and icky to eat.
Toss to coat, then let sit for a few minutes while the grill pan heats up. Grill until as tender as desired… yummy.
When the risotto is about halfway done (about 12 minutes- you want to cook it until it is starchy, creamy, and as soft as you like), drizzle the lambchops with olive oil and place in a broiler pan. Put in the preheated broiler and set the timer for 9 minutes; this cooks them just about medium, medium rare.
Black Cherry sauce
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup black cherry all fruit preserves (we used Polaner All Fruit)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Follow directions from recipe found here.
Just as it is finishing up, everything should be coming together. Get ready to use your creativity and decide how to plate…
I used a silicone ramikin and packed it with risotto, then inverted it on the plate. We actually had 5 lambchops total, but we took one at a time so as not to be greedy and I did not drizzle the sauce over the chops as we weren’t sure we would enjoy it. Honestly, I preferred the sauce once it cooled down a little- when it was piping hot, well, I’m very anti-hot fruit, plus it had a touch too much of a bite to it for my taste. When it cooled down, however, it was deliciously sweet and yummy.
And that is how you make an entire romantic dinner in 30 minutes. Enjoy!!!
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