Pan-Seared Scallops with Sweet-Pea and Mushroom Risotto

The perfect Valentine's dinner :) Not entirely guilt-free, but not sinful either! I found a wide variety of uses for butter, heavy cream, and chesse in various risotto recipes, but my instinct was that a good risotto didn't need to be quite so excessive with the fats, especially when paired with large, wild scallops!

Ingredients:
2 cups arborio rice
2 shallots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup of frozen or fresh sweet peas
4 large cremini mushrooms
1 carton vegetable broth (about 4 cups)
1 1/4 cup white wine
2 cups water
1/3 grated cheese blend

Start by sauteeing the shallots and onions, about five minutes, until translucent. If anything sticks or browns too heavily, use some white wine to deglaze the pan, and add the arborio rice. Several recipes suggest heating up the broth before adding to your risotto, but I used the broth straight from the carton. As with all risotto recipes, add the liquids -- broth, water, wine -- one cup at a time, stirring the rice until each cup is absorbed. While waiting for the rice to cook, I sauteed the peas and chopped mushrooms in olive oil in a separate sautee pan, adding them to the risotto only when the rice was nearly cooked. Just before serving, add a few tablespoons of butter and your cheese. The scallops just need at about two minutes of high heat on each side; I recommend preparing them with black pepper and sea salt. Yum!