Three Garlic Risotto

Garlic can have so many different flavors that can be achieved in the way you use it in a dish. When raw it is very aromatic yet spicy and sharp, while roasted garlic is sweet. Sauteed garlic mellows out quite a bit, but still adds great flavor to dishes. Finally, toasted garlic (not burnt!) takes on a caramelized flavor, but different from the slow roasted sweetness you get in roasted garlic.

Many years ago I first made this risotto, and over the years have tweaked it, so I am sharing this updated version with you.

I know, one-and-a-half cloves of garlic seems like a LOT for one dish that serves 4 people. But believe me, by cooking the garlic three different ways - roasted, sauteed, and toasted - you will get many layers of garlic flavor that all add something to the dish.

Three Garlic Risotto Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Ingredients

• One bulb of garlic kept whole for roasting
• Half bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
• 4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth, warmed in a pot
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley (dried parsley works just fine in a pinch and I often use it)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Chop the top (the non-stem side) of the full bulb of garlic off to just slightly expose the garlic. Place the full bulb of garlic cut side up in a ramekin lined with foil. Pour 1 tsp olive oil over it and gently close up the foil. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes; the garlic cloves should be soft and golden brown (see second picture above). Remove from the oven, let cool,and squeeze garlic cloves out of the paper skin. This step can be done ahead of time - if you roast it early in the day, you can keep it covered on your counter. If you roast it a day or two ahead of time, place it in a covered container in the fridge. Chop roughly before using.
• Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add half of the chopped raw garlic and cook in the oil, stirring almost constantly, until the garlic turns crispy and gets a nice, golden brown color. You want to be very careful during this step to toast, not burn, the garlic. Remove it to a paper towel as soon as it reaches the color you want - even a few seconds too long could ruin the garlic.
• Melt butter in the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Add the shallots and the rest of the chopped raw garlic; saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add the arborio rice and stir until everything is coated; the rice will start to turn slightly translucent 
• Add the wine and stir until it has all absorbed.
• Add 1 large ladle of the broth as well as the chopped, roasted garlic. Stir, mashing up the roasted garlic, until all of the broth has absorbed Continue adding broth, 1-2 ladles at a time, stirring constantly. Do not add more broth until the previous broth has completely absorbed. This process will take about 18 minutes. Starting at about 15 minutes, start tasking your rice - you want it cooked to al dente - soft with just a touch of resistance when you take a bite. 
• Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. 

Broccoli-Cheddar Risotto

Back in college I actually did like to cook once I was living in an apartment and the sorority house. But even though I'd make something like a roasted or sautéed chicken breast, I'd still use instant sides (hey it was college - just making the chicken is pretty impressive).

One of my favorites was the Uncle Ben's rice packet that had the seasoning and veggies all mixed in, specifically the broccoli cheddar one. It was easy, didn't take much time, and when it was done you had a creamy, cheesy side that was both your starch and veg. Nevermind the fact that it had more sodium that any person should eat in a week - I didn't care about that stuff back then.

Well when I saw this recipe pop up in my Feedly app, I instantly thought of those college days and was immediately craving cheesy rice with broccoli. My favorite college dinner turned into a homemade, grown-up risotto - yes, please!

Risotto is one of my favorite things to cook and eat. I love this creamy rice dish so much that I created a page in my recipe index dedicated solely to risotto. Take a look - there are more than 20 risotto recipes ranging from simple parmesan-garlic and mushroom recipes to black truffle risotto and even some really interesting ones like Mexican risotto and Asian-inspired risotto.

I'm so thankful that my friend Sarah found this recipe, made it, and posted it on her blog A Taste of Home Cooking because honestly, while I have experimented with many ingredients when making risotto I never thought of using broccoli and cheddar. But it works - it totally works.

  

Cheddar-Broccoli Risotto

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large broccoli crown, cut into small florets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions

• Bring the chicken broth to a low simmer in a saucepan. Keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Saute approximately 10 minutes until the broccoli is tender and browning in spots. Remove the broccoli from the pan.
• Melt 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion; sauté 2 minutes.
• Add the rice and stir to coat.
• Add the wine and stir until evaporated, about 1 minute.
• Start adding the chicken broth one ladle-full at a time, letting it fully absorb before adding more. This process takes anywhere from 17-25 minutes - near the end keep tasting your rice to see if it is cooked through.
• Before you add the final ladle of broth, add the broccoli back in.
• Add the final ladle of broth and once it's just about absorbed, turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

     

Tomato-Basil Risotto

It's no secret that I love risotto. Over the past several years I have experimented with so many different flavors and ingredients. Click here for all of my risotto posts, or take a look at the list of risotto recipes in my Recipe Index.

After making homemade sauce and lasagna with my sister last week, I had some leftover fresh basil that I was dying to use. I started to think back to my grandmom's homemade sauce; she would simmer the sauce all day with chicken in it and it was just heavenly. She would also serve rice that had cooked in tomato sauce along with the chicken. Remembering those meals is what gave me the idea to make a tomato-basil risotto.

This may be my new favorite risotto recipe! Here is what I did -

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 sm onion or shallot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 3/4 c tomato sauce (not chunky)
• 3 c chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
• Fresh basil - about 5 leaves chopped plus 2 leaves cut chiffonade style for garnish
• Approximately 1/2 c freshly shredded Parmesan cheese plus a few thinly shaved pieces for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat
• Add onions/shallots and garlic; saute 2-3 minutes
• Add rice and stir until coated
• Add the wine and stir until absorbed
• Add the sauce and just a touch of broth (a few tbsp); stir until absorbed. At this point you want to lower the heat to medium.
• Add a ladle of broth, the chopped basil, and stir until absorbed. Continue this step until you have used all/most of the broth and the rice is tender, but still has a bite to it. From the first ladle of broth to the rice becoming tender takes about 18 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper as needed.
• When you add your final ladle of broth, also add the cheese. Stir until the broth has absorbed and the cheese has melted, but the risotto still has just a touch of liquid to it (see my picture).
• Spoon into shallow bowls, top with basil and Parmesan strips.

Asian Inspired Risotto

Gordon Ramsey would probably have my head if he heard me say my risotto was Asian inspired. But what's the fun of cooking if you can't get creative?

For the past several weeks I have been on such an Asian kick, cooking things like Spicy Sesame Soy Noodles, Asian Pulled Pork, Yakitori, Vegetable Lo Mein, and finally got to cook with Sriracha Sauce in this Grilled Sriracha Chicken. Seriously, I have been cooking so much Asian food that Jon's only request the other night was "not Asian!" He has loved everything, but needs a little break.

But before he said that, we decided to make the Grilled Sriracha Chicken for the second time in 2 weeks last week. I wanted something other than noodles for our side. I thought about fried rice, but prefer to cook rice the day before I fry it, and I was just an hour out from dinner. I ran with the rice idea though and decided to try adding Asian ingredients to risotto, leaving out the cheese.

It was such a huge success - almost like creamy fried rice!! It had so much flavor - woody mushrooms, bright ginger, and the salty and nutty flavors from the soy sauce and sesame oil. I will absolutely be making this again!

Here is what I did (and I made it all up as I went along) -

Ingredients

• 4 c low sodium chicken broth
• Approximately 3 tbsp soy sauce
• Approximately 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp ginger, grated (separated)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 large crimini mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c white wine (was wishing I had sake - I will try that next time)
• Green onions, chopped (topping)

Directions

• Pour broth into a pot; add soy sauce, sesame oil, and half of the ginger. Heat over low heat.
• Melt butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, the rest of the ginger, and mushrooms. Saute 3-4 minutes.
• Add rice to the pan and stir until everything is mixed and the rice is coated and the edges are starting to turn translucent.
• Add the wine and stir until absorbed.
• Lower heat to medium and add 1 ladle of broth. Stir until absorbed. Continue adding broth and letting it absorb until the rice is completely cooked, but not mushy - it should still have just a touch of bite. This process usually takes me 15-18 minutes from the time I put the first ladle-full of broth into the rice and I start tasting the rice about 12 minutes into this process.
• Top with green onions, adjust any other seasoning, serve immediately.

Chicken Cacciatore Risotto

This recipe came to me through another recipe swap hosted by the blog Taste of Home Cooking. The theme was Italian recipes, and I was given this one for Chicken Cacciatore Risotto by the author of the blog Taste and See.

I LOVE risotto, have made it with so many different ingredients and flavors, so I was excited to get this one. Now even though I have made risotto many times, I have never made it with meat.. well, except bacon. I usually have risotto as a side, but this one was a nice entree risotto. And I love Chicken Cacciatore so I had a feeling this would be good.

My parents came over for dinner and really enjoyed it. And no surprise, our daughter loved it too! She ate every last bite and was looking for more.

I made one major change to the recipe - it called for red wine, but I have made risotto with red wine before and didn't like it (too rich and heavy). Also, I make my chicken cacciatore with white wine, so I decided to keep it light and use white instead of red. I also used an Italian Seasoning blend that I had instead of the Herbs de Provence - I compared the ingredients in both and the Italian Seasoning was only missing the fennel, something I don't like anyway. I also added a touch more thyme. My variation on the recipe is below.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning blend and 1 tsp dried thyme
  
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/2 c white wine
  
• 4 c chicken broth
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with the juices
  
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 6 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips (I chopped the peppers to keep them bite sized and so my daughter could easily eat them)
  
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley, minced (I didn't have any so I used about 2 tbsp dried parsley)

Directions

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and thyme.
  
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Shred the chicken, and reserve for the risotto.
  
• Add 1 Tablespoon of the butter and 1 tbsp oil to a clean skillet. When melted, add the shallot, and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and diced tomatoes to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer continuously.
• Add the rice to the skillet, and cook, stirring continuously, until the edges are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the wine, and stir continuously, until it is mostly absorbed.
• Working 1-2 ladles at a time, add the chicken broth/tomato mixture to the rice, stirring constantly, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. After about 10 minutes, add the peppers and mushrooms to the rice mixture.
• Continue adding liquid until the rice is cooked to al dente, about 20 minutes total. Taste to check the rice. When cooked to al dente, add 1 more ladle of chicken broth, and remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
  
• Top risotto with the chicken and serve.
  

Chive Risotto with White Truffle Oil

To all of my readers, I'm sorry it has been so slow in here lately. But I have a good reason for not feeling like cooking - we're expecting our first little one in July! The first couple of months were full of exhaustion and Jon did all of the cooking, and when he wasn't home, I got takeout. But thankfully my energy came back along with my urge to get into the kitchen. And now that I'm cooking again, I'm also wanting to try some new recipes, so I promise I'll have more posts over the next few months!

Last Saturday we stayed in and cooked together. And what does Jon always request when he's grilling steaks? Risotto, of course.

I have a bunch of risotto recipes in my blog already - feel free to browse through the risotto tag over there on the right. And here is a new one to add to the list, Chive Risotto with White Truffle Oil. If I can't have real truffles, the flavor of them will have to do - I love truffles!

I used this recipe as my inspiration, but used my standard risotto preparation method. My adaptation is below.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 4 c chicken broth, warmed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
• Approximately 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I don't measure, I just grate it over the pan)
• 2 tbsp white truffle oil

Directions

• In a large saute pan, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat
• Add shallots and garlic; saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the rice, and toss until coated
• Add the wine, stir until absorbed
• Add 1 ladle full of broth, stir until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 ladle at a time, stirring and letting it absorb before adding more. The process of adding the broth will take about 18 minutes or so. When you are getting close to this time, start to taste the rice so you don't overcook it. You want it to have a very slight bite to it.
• Season with salt and pepper during this process, to taste. Adjust as needed.
• When you add your final ladle-full of broth, mix in the cheese.
• Remove from the heat and mix in the chives and half of the truffle oil. Use the rest of the truffle oil when serving.

We both loved this, and the white truffle oil added a nice earthiness. The next day, I turned the leftovers into risotto balls, my favorite way to use up leftover risotto.

To anyone out there scared of making risotto, don't be! I know that if you have watched any show featuring Gordon Ramsey yelling at his cooks, you must be scared as he makes it seem like an almost impossible art. But believe me, it is not difficult. Yes, it takes some time and attention, but you do not have to stand over the stove and stir the entire time. Also, it's not as time consuming as you may think. From the time you start the shallots to finish, it's about 35-40 minutes. And there are endless ingredient possibilities, so experiment and have fun!

Risotto with Arugula, Mushrooms, and Gruyere

I love risotto and we eat it 2-3 times a month. Every time we grill steaks Jon requests risotto. I have tried a ton of different variations, and am always looking for and trying new ingredients.

Over the weekend I came up with some new ideas, and decided to make risotto with arugula, mushrooms, and Gruyere cheese. I used my standard recipe and just added these ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 4 c warm chicken broth
• 2 handfuls arugula, about 1/2 of a bag
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Gruyere cheese, about 1/3 c

Directions

• Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan
• Add shallots and garlic, saute 2 min
• Add mushrooms, saute 2 min
• Add rice and toss until coated, about 2 min
• Add white wine and stir until wine has absorbed
• Add broth, 1-2 ladles at a time. Once you start this step, you have about 17-18 minutes left until you use all the broth. Continue adding the broth; once you have used 3/4 of the broth, keep tasting the rice to see if it is done. It will be tender but not too mushy.
• When you add the final ladle of broth, add the arugula and cheese. Stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

This is my risotto when I added the final ladle - just a touch more liquid to be absorbed.

I loved the nuttiness of the arugula with the earthy flavor from the mushrooms - great combination. And the Gruyere cheese evened it all out - delicious!

Along with our steaks and risotto, we had some white asparagus, something I have seen a lot in the stores but have never cooked. I tossed it with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted it for 15 min on 400. I found that it took longer to roast than green asparagus, and had a more bitter flavor than the green variety, but was sweeter towards the tougher ends. We both agree that we prefer green asparagus, but it was nice to try something new.

Lemon-Parsley Risotto

When people ask me my favorite thing to cook, I always respond with Risotto. I love how versatile it is, and always experiment with new ingredients and flavors.

I make risotto year round, so in the warmer months I like to play with lighter flavors in my risotto. My favorites in the winter are heavier - like shiitake mushrooms, gorgonzola, and black truffles. So for a lighter dish tonight, I decided to use up some fresh parsley and lemons from the weekend.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/3 c white wine
• 4 c low sodium chicken broth (vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp light cream
• 1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
• Handful chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon zest

Directions

• Heat chicken broth
• Melt butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat
• Add shallots and garlic; saute 3 min
• Add rice and toss until coated
• Add wine and stir until absorbed
• Add 1 ladle of broth and stir until absorbed. Continue to add broth 1 ladle at a time until you have used all of the broth, or until rice is cooked through, but not mushy. This process should take about 18-20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the cream
• Add the lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and parsley
• Plate the risotto and zest the lemon over it; top with parsley

I served the risotto along side chicken marinated and grilled by Jon. He marinated chicken breasts in a mixture of olive oil, fresh garlic, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes. So delicious, and I love the grill marks -

I have one chicken breast left over and I plan on making chicken salad with it.

This risotto was the perfect spring or summer risotto. The flavors were so bright, light, and fresh.

Grilled Marinated Steaks and Mushroom Risotto

Saturday night has become our night for cooking or grilling a nice dinner at home instead of going out. We come up with a nice menu together, something that takes a little longer and is a little fancier than a weeknight meal. Jon usually gets a nice bottle of wine that we can enjoy with dinner and then on our deck after dinner.

So yesterday I picked up some strip steaks and Jon picked up a bottle of Cakebread Cab to go with them. I also planned on making risotto as well as sauteed spinach.

Jon created yet another fabulous marinade for the steaks:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup scotch
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano

The steaks marinated for about 7 hours and they really took the flavors from the marinade. They were delicious!

Jon always requests risotto when we grill steaks, so I made a simple mushroom risotto. I started with onions, shallots, and garlic, and chopped baby bellas, and added freshly grated Parmesan cheese at the end. Here is a similar recipe using different kinds of mushrooms and cheese, and vermouth instead of white wine, but the method is the same.

Finally, the wine. We enjoyed a 2006 Cakebread Cab.

We have enjoyed older vintages of this wine, and found this one to be similar, although not as oaky. It was very smooth yet full, and is worth the splurge in our opinion.

Barley Risotto with Marsala and Porcini Mushrooms

It's no secret that Jon and I both love risotto. So I was very intrigued when I saw this recipe for Marsala Barley Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Peas on Elly's blog.

I omitted the peas, and changed just a few things about the recipe based on methods I normally use for cooking traditional risotto. My changes are in italics below.

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1 large shallot or half a small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary (I didn't use this)
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1/3 cup marsala wine
• 2-3 cups vegetable or chicken broth, kept warm on the stove (I used 4 cups chicken broth plus 1 c water)
• 1/4 cup peas (I didn't use peas)
• 1/4 cup grated romano (or parmesan) cheese
• Added: 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, mostly for color
  

Directions

• Add 1.25 cups boiling water to the mushrooms and allow them to reconstitute for about 10
  minutes. I didn't do this. Instead, I heated my 4 c broth and 1 c water and added the mushrooms to the pot. After 10 minutes I removed the mushrooms and chopped them. This is what I usually do when cooking risotto with dried mushrooms. I like how it flavors the broth, too.
• Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat and add the oil and
  butter until melted together.
• Stir in the shallot and garlic, and cook until tender.
• Coarsely chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan along with the barley and
  rosemary. Stir a few times until the barley turns a little golden.
• Add the marsala and cook until almost completely evaporated. Turn the heat to medium-low.
• Add about 1 cup of the broth/soaking mixture to the barley and cook, stirring frequently,
  until it's almost completely absorbed. Add more broth and continue this step until the barley is tender and chewy, but still a little firm in the center. You should still have some liquid in the pan—you don't want it to be ALL absorbed. Note: This process took about 40 minutes - about double the time I spend adding liquid to traditional arborio rice risotto.
• Stir in the peas and heat through. Didn't do this - added parsley instead.
• Off the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and season to taste if necessary.

This barley version of risotto was SO rich! It was sweet from the marsala but woody from the mushrooms at the same time. I loved it, although Jon wasn't sure about the texture.

Using barley is an interesting twist on risotto, and I am very glad I tried it. I'll do it again, and now that I know it takes a lot longer than traditional risotto, I'll be prepared for the extra cooking time.

Leek and Pea Risotto

Jon is always asking me to make risotto. His favorite is my basic Parmesan-Garlic Risotto. I, however, like playing around with different ingredients and flavors. Check out the risotto tag in this blog to see all of the variations I have made.

Last night I came across this recipe for Leek and Pea Risotto on the Epicurious web site. I served it with Jon's grilled, marinated pork chops.

The recipe on the Epicurious site also includes ingredients and directions for the calamari. I didn't make the calamari so the ingredients and directions below are for the risotto portion of that meal only.

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced and washed
• 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I didn't use this)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  

Directions

• Bring stock to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan, then keep at a bare simmer.
• Cook leeks in 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot (I used the large saucepan I always use for risotto) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil and rice to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated evenly, about 1 minute.
• Add wine and briskly simmer, stirring, until most has been absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Add 1 cup hot stock and briskly simmer, stirring constantly, until stock has been absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next, until 1 cup stock is left, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Add peas, leeks, and remaining cup stock and cook, stirring, until rice is just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in butter (didn't use this) and cheese, then remove from heat.

Leeks and peas - not something I would have put together on my own but it worked. This was delicious!

I love how risotto is so versatile, but it's also all based on the same basic recipe. However, each recipe can taste so different based on what you add to it - meat, seafood, different veggies, red vs white wine, cheeses, etc.

Risotto is also extremely easy to make. I always hear people saying they are scared to try it - don't be!!! I promise that if you follow the instructions, keep your broth warm, keep stirring, and taste the rice often near the end, you will end up with a perfect risotto.

Attention Bacon Lovers!! Mushroom Risotto with Bacon and Smoked Gouda

Risotto is my favorite thing to cook. I have many risotto recipes in this blog, and love playing with new flavors.

Last week I made a Mushroom-Potato-Smoked Gouda Chowder that I originally found in Elly's blog. I loved the flavors so much that I decided to use them as my inspiration for tonight's risotto - Mushroom Risotto with Bacon and Smoked Gouda. This recipe is my own creation.

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon; I used applewood smoked bacon
• 1 tbsp evoo
• 1 sm onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups assorted mushrooms, chopped; I used baby bellas and shiitakes
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• Approximately 1/2 c shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Directions

• Heat a large sauce/saute pan.
• Add bacon and cook until crisp.
• Remove bacon from pan and remove all but 1 tbsp of the grease.
• Add 1 tbsp evoo to the pan.
• Add onions and garlic, saute for 1 min.
• Add mushrooms, saute 1 min.
• At this point the bottom of my pan was really brown, so I decided to deglaze it before adding the rice. I deglazed it with about 2 tbsp white wine.
• Add rice and stir to coat.
• Add the rest of the white wine and stir until absorbed.
• Add warm broth, 1-2 ladles at a time, stirring until absorbed. Continue adding broth until the rice is tender, but not mushy. This process of adding the broth takes me anywhere from 17-25 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Add cheese and stir. Serve immediately.

Surprisingly, even though there is so much sodium in the bacon, I still needed to add some salt to brighten up the overall flavor of the risotto a bit.

Bacony goodness!!! If you love bacon (and I don't know how you can't) and risotto, you will love this dish.

Risotto with Asparagus-Shiitake Ragout

One of our favorite Saturday night meals is grilled filet mignon with risotto of some sort. I have made so many variations of risotto using many different ingredients. To see all of them, click on the risotto tag on the left side of this blog.

I browsed through recipes for ingredient ideas and liked what I saw on the Epicurious web site in this one for risotto with asparagus and morel ragout. I didn't follow their recipe for a basic risotto, but instead I made my basic risotto recipe and followed most of their recipe for the ragout.

My Basic Risotto

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped (I used a mixture of shallots and onions last night)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken broth, heated (I used 6 cups last night since I needed some for the ragout; their recipe called for a mixture of broth and water, but I think you get better flavor when you use all broth, no water)
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• Optional: chopped parsley for some color
  

Directions

• Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
• Add shallots/onions and garlic; stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add arborio rice and stir until coated
• Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
• Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This process of adding broth takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes. Taste as you go along so you don't over or under cook the rice.
• When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese, and stir until broth is completely absorbed.
• Serve immediately

Asparagus-Shiitake Ragout

I couldn't find morels so I used fresh shiitake mushrooms.

• 1 lb medium asparagus, rough ends removed; diagonally chopped into 1 inch slices
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/4 lb fresh mushrooms - I used about 1 c, maybe a touch more, sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1 c broth from the broth being used for the risotto (see recipe for details)
• 1/2 c frozen baby peas - I didn't use these
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• Chopped fresh chives

Directions

• When heating the broth for the risotto, add the asparagus and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking(I transferred it to a colander and ran cold water over it). Remove 1 c of broth from the pot and set aside to be used later.
• When you have about 7 minutes of cooking time left on the risotto, start the ragout.
• Heat 2 tbsp butter in a heavy skillet until foam subsides.
• Add mushrooms and garlic, saute about 4 minutes.
• Add the reserved 1 c of broth and bring to a boil.
• Stir in peas, asparagus, lemon zest, and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp of butter. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

I enjoyed this ragout because I was able to really taste and enjoy the vegetables instead of having them mixed in with the risotto. The asparagus was firm - overcooked asparagus would ruin this dish. The mushrooms added an earthy flavor, while the lemon zest gave it some brightness. It's hard to see from my picture, but there was a nice creamy sauce in addition to that pile of veggies. It ran all the way through the risotto giving it nice flavor, and was also tasty on top of the steak.

I have some leftover ragout so I'm thinking of making some oven-baked tofu bites tonight to use it up.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Gorgonzola-Shiitake Risotto

It's no secret that I love cooking and eating risotto, and especially trying new ingredients and flavors. I browsed risotto recipes looking for inspiration, and liked what I read in this Giada recipe. I substituted shiitake mushrooms for the porcini mushrooms, and followed my basic risotto recipe (tried and true!).

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c shiitake mushrooms (I used fresh; dried would work too, they would just require more soaking in the broth to soften)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry vermouth (I was out of white wine)
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c chopped chives
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Add broth and mushrooms to a pot to heat. Remove mushrooms from broth and finely chop; set aside. Keep broth warm.
• Melt butter in a saute pan with olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms; saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add rice and stir until fully coated.
• Add vermouth, stir until absorbed.
• Add broth, 1 ladle at a time, until all broth has been absorbed. This takes about 17-20 minutes.
• When you add your last ladle of broth, mix in the cheeses and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

These flavors worked so well together - a perfectly creamy and earthy risotto. I'm already looking forward to my leftovers for lunch!

Have a great weekend, and GO PHILLIES!!!!!!!

Black Truffle Risotto

After making dinner the other night, I had some black truffles and black truffle cream leftover, so I went with my old standby - risotto. Jon grilled filet mignon and I sauteed spinach to go with it. In my eyes the risotto is the main dish in this meal...steak and spinach were simply sides!

I have a bunch of risotto recipes in my blog. Just click on the tag to the left to see them. I have used black truffle oil before, but never the real thing.

This is my basic risotto recipe with the addition of black truffle cream and black truffles

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
• 1 tbsp black truffle cream (or chopped black truffles)
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• Optional: chopped parsley for some color
• Chopped/sliced black truffles for garnish

Directions

• Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
• Add shallots and garlic; stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add arborio rice and stir until coated
• Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
• Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
• About 1/2 to 3/4 of the way through, stir in the black truffle cream and parsley.
• When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
• Serve immediately topped with the chopped or sliced black truffles.

If you purchase a good black truffle oil, you should be able to get pretty good flavor in your dishes. But nothing compares to using the real thing (ok, maybe it would have been better if I had a huge hunk of truffle to shave on top of it, but you get my point).

Enjoy the long weekend! We are off to Vegas so I'll have some restaurant and wine reviews when we return.

Risotto with Roasted Red Peppers and Spinach (and risotto balls with the leftovers!)

In my opinion, nothing goes better with grilled filet mignon than risotto. And I don't care how hot it is outside - as long as my air is on, I'll make risotto.

This is probably my tenth risotto in this blog as I love trying new ingredients and flavors. On Sunday night I was inspired by the one, lonely red pepper sitting in my fridge along with half of a bag of baby spinach.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Optional: a few dashes of red pepper flakes
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped (to roast, put over an open flame until all of the skin is charred. Put in a bowl covered with plastic to sweat the skin off. After 10 minutes, peel the skin to reveal your beautiful roasted red pepper)
• 1 c fresh baby spinach
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
• Add shallots and garlic (and red pepper flakes); stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add arborio rice and stir until coated
• Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
• Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
• Near the end, stir in the spinach and red peppers.
• When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
• Serve immediately.

Sweet but savory at the same time - I loved it. And something about the flavor of roasted red peppers along with the grilled flavor of a filet mignon is just perfect together.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So what to do with leftover risotto besides reheating it and eating it as is? Risotto balls, formally known as Arancini. I haven't made these in a while only because I will eat all of them!

Ingredients

• Cold, leftover risotto
• 1/2 c flour
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 3/4 c bread crumbs
• 3/4 c oil for frying

Directions

• Heat oil in a pot/pan
• With wet hands (much easier to work with risotto), take about a tablespoon of risotto and form into balls. Optional: insert a small piece of mozzarella in the middle.
• Roll the ball in flour, dip in egg, then coat with bread crumbs.
• Drop into the oil and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
• Transfer to paper towels to drain, then serve immediately.

In the past I have made dipping sauces. Marinara is a good sauce, but if you want something different, here is a recipe for a garlic aioli, and here is one for a grilled tomato and garlic aioli.

Every time I have made these I have rolled them into ball shapes, but last night I made two flatter cakes as well. These would be great plated with a serving of meat and covered in a bit of sauce.

Risotto balls and risotto cakes are things seen very often on restaurant menus, but can easily be created at home. Give it a try!!

Risotto with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

Have I mentioned before that I love risotto? I also love adding different ingredients and experimenting with new flavors and textures, and have been happy with all of my creations so far. Click here to see all of them.

I've been loving caramelized onions lately so I decided to keep it going and try them in risotto.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion sliced into thin rings
• 2 cloves raw garlic, chopped
• Olive oil (about 1 tbsp for the risotto and 1 for the onions)
• Butter (about 1 tbsp for the risotto and 2 for the onions)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth, warmed
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup fresh chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

• Caramelize the onions (heat oil and butter in a pan over medium heat, add onions and stir for 30-40 minutes until golden brown, being careful not to burn the onions or pan as you'll be using this pan to cook the risotto)
• Remove onions from the pan and add the rest of the oil and butter
• Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
• Add the rice; stir for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the white wine and stir until it is absorbed.
• Add the chicken broth 1 ladle-full at a time, letting it fully absorb before adding more. This process takes about 17-25 minutes, depending on the day!
• Before the final ladle of broth, add the caramelized onions and spinach. I chopped the onions so they wouldn't be too long and stringy next to the small grains of rice.
• When your final ladle of broth is halfway absorbed, add the cheese. This is my trick for making the risotto creamy.
• Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  

Another delicious risotto! Using the pan that the onions cooked in was a great way to infuse the oil with the sweetness of the onions, therefore giving the risotto more flavor overall. We both loved this and I think it might be my favorite yet. Another one to add to the list!