There comes a time in every food blogger’s career that an old recipe starts getting negative attention.

Just kidding. I really hope that doesn’t happen to you. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone!

A recipe I published a a few years ago had the bittersweet pleasure of going viral on Pinterest and such, and when that happens, you get the bad with the good. Unfortunately some people felt this recipe was lacking flavor. Having not made this recipe very recently myself, I really couldn’t argue with them – I remembered it being pretty tasty, but that’s about it! Giving the benefit of doubt that it was being made correctly, I still accepted that there was probably room for some improvement. So I pulled out the ol’ slow cooker and got to work.

Besides adding a couple ingredients to make sure this meal was chock full of flavor, I made a couple other changes as well. I swapped gluten-free supergrain sorghum for the barley, and took out the one hard-to-find ingredient (concentrated lobster broth base) to make this more accessible for all.

And I hounded my husband to tell me if it was flavorful. He said it was. Sundried tomatoes, an extra pinch of salt, and parsley will do that!

I’m putting this out here knowing that there are about 50 zillion food blogs and I don’t expect the naysayers to come back and try the udpated version. There are many fish in the sea. But for those of you reading this now – know that I do read your feedback and I DO care.

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Slow Cooker Sorghum Risotto with Shrimp & Artichokes

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup whole grain sorghum, rinsed
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 12oz package frozen quartered artichoke hearts
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (uncooked, thawed if frozen)
2oz grated pecorino romano cheese
3oz baby spinach
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, saute the onions until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring. Add lemon juice, increase heat to medium, and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Transfer to the slow cooker and stir in sorghum, broth, sundried tomatoes, artichokes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until sorghum is tender and the liquid is just about all absorbed.

About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the shrimp and grated cheese. Cover and continue to cook on high for another 10 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Fold in the baby spinach, stirring until it's wilted. Stir in parsley last. Divide among serving bowls and serve immediately.

Cara Lyons, www.carascravings.com