Heartburn Friendly Cooking: Chicken Risotto Topped with Grilled Sausage

Reflux Friendly Cooking is a weekly feature full of quick and easy food ideas that are acid reflux friendly and can be easily modified to meet the needs of everyone in your family Each week I’ll provide a simple menu that is designed for easy digestion. I’ll also give you suggestions on how to modify the same recipe for others in your family without acid reflux disease. Bon Appétit!

Chicken Risotto Topped with Grilled Sausage: The creaminess of the risotto is a great compliment to the smoky flavor of the sausage!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup chopped celery (this is usually easier on the stomach than onion and garlic)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 grilled chicken sausage links (see the notes below)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (this can be rice cheese if dairy is a problem)
• 1 Tbs. butter or canola spread
• salt and pepper as tolerated

In a medium saucepan, warm the broth over low heat (you will want to keep it warm throughout the process). In another heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery and sauté just until tender. Add the rice and give a quick stir. Add the first ladle of stock to the rice and stir. Lower the heat and continue to add the warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring occasionally until the liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked and creamy. At this point, add the butter and cheese and salt and pepper (if tolerated). Remove from heat and cover for at least two minutes. Place the rice in a serving bowl and top with the grilled chicken sausage.

Notes about the grilled sausage: Wellshire brand chicken sausage seems to be light on the spices with almost no additives. Many of the packaged sausages are already cooked through and just need to be heated on the grill prior to serving (it will be stated on the label whether or not the meat is precooked).