Mushroom Risotto using Le Creuset.... oh la la

My husband and I were recently married, so over the past couple of months since the onset of wedded bliss, we have received some great new Le Creuset cookware including casserole dishes, pans, stock pots, and my favorite new item, our 7.25qt French oven!  I have been spending a significant amount of time imagining the possibilities...

To kick the wheels of the new French oven, I decided the inaugural dish would be risotto.  Having never made risotto before, I had no expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out.  I used a recipe from Lidia's Italy website.  Here the link:

http://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/162

Prior to starting the risotto, I made my own 'cheater' veggie broth by using store bought veggie stock and the addition of my own veggies, like roughly chopped onion, celery, carrots, and frozen peas.  I strained this out prior to use.

Also before starting the risotto, I started sauteing about 8oz of mushrooms, so they would be ready to go when the risotto was finished, and I just mixed them into the risotto with the cheese at the end.

The Risotto turned out absolutely fantastic-- so creamy and wonderful!  So fantastic, in fact, I made it again for some friends the following weekend!  Definitely a keeper recipe. Furthermore, I'm convinced I could have never made risotto without my Le Creuset French oven!  The weight of the pan kept everything cooking evenly and prevented anything from burning to the bottom.  Plus... it's so pretty to look at.  A stove covered with my new Le Creuset items-- could it get any better?

Update:  Recently, I created a new twist on the risotto recipe above.  I baked an acorn squash, removed the soft innards, and mashed them with a little salt.  When the risotto was finished, I added the mashed squash and 1/2 cup of shredded bandaged cheddar.  It was excellent.