Shrimp, Mushroom, Spinach and Tomato Risotto

Risotto is my go-to last minute, use-up-vegetables, not-pasta dinner. The best thing about it is that you don't really have to plan ahead as long as you keep your pantry stocked.

Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups water
1/4 cup onion, diced, or a 1/2 small onion
1 cloves garlic, sliced
6 tbsp. butter
handful of baby spinach
sliced mushrooms
12-15 shrimp
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp chives
6-8 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
lemon sliced in half
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper

Slice and brown mushrooms in 2 tbsp butter on medium heat, set aside. In a large skillet, cook rice until translucent with onion in 2 tbsp butter. Add 1 cup of water at a time, stirring often. Add garlic after adding water. When rice is nearly done and water is almost all absorbed, start shrimp in separate pan with 2 tbsp butter, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and lemon juice to taste, I just squeeze about 1 tbsp out of the lemon and save the rest for something else. At the same time add spinach, mushrooms, cheese, chives and cream to risotto. Cook shrimp until just pink. Season risotto with salt and a little crushed red pepper to taste. Add cooked shrimp and liquid from pan to risotto, mix and remove from heat. I like mine on the spicy side so I add a little more red pepper at the table. Sadly, this was the end of the chives from last year's CSA season that I saved in my freezer.