Creamy Lemon and Herb Risotto

                                                         

Creamy Lemon And Herb Risotto

An Effortless Creamy and Baked Risotto Recipe

This Creamy Lemon & Herb Baked Risotto is made using an entirely hands-off oven method that will bring risotto onto your dinner table even on the busiest of weeknights! It’s ultra creamy, there’s no stirring and you don’t even need to sauté onion!

Luscious yet fresh and bright from the herbs and lemon, it’s delicious alone but pairs especially well with fish, prawns and chicken.

There will always be a time and place for risotto made the traditional way, stirring leisurely at the stove for a good 25 minutes as cookbooks and Italian nonnas have always insisted.

Ingredients:

Lemon and Herb flavoring option

To make the Lemon and Herb flavor, all you need is one lemon, and any herbs you choose – I used parsley, chives and dill.

Lemon – we use the lemon rind for lemon flavor, as well as the juice for freshness; and
Herbs – I’ve used a 1-2-3 combination of parsley (1 tbsp), chives (2 tbsp) and dill (3 tbsp). Using a ratio like that is a handy way to strike a good flavour balance between the “lead vocals” in flavor (dill, in this case) with the “backup singers” (parsley and chives in this case, which are more subtle in flavor). You can use any herbs you want and it’s easy to figure out how much to add because we just add the herbs in right at the end so just keep adding to your taste!
Directions:

Heat stock using whatever means you want – stove, microwave. Heat until just hot and steamy; it doesn’t need to be boiling. This pre-heating ensures the rice cooks evenly. Can’t be bothered? That’s fine too. Just add 10 – 12 minutes to the bake time, to factor in the time it takes for the stock to heat up in the oven;

Put everything in casserole dish – The rice, stock, butter, onion and garlic;

Bake 35 minutes – Cover with casserole lid or tightly with foil, then bake for 35 minutes or until the rice is just cooked. Ovens are never the same so it may take a bit longer or less in yours;

Yes, it will appear liquid-y – It will look somewhat watery when you take it out, rather than creamy or appetising. But have faith! It will become creamy in the next step……..

Stir vigorously – Add the parmesan and extra butter, then stir the risotto vigorously until you see the liquid starting to thicken and turn white. By stirring the risotto, you are activating the starch in the risotto which emulsifies with fat (butter in this case) and thickens the liquid to make it creamy!

Goal: Thick and creamy, never dry and stodgy! Risotto should always be thick and creamy, oozing on the plate. It should never clump in a stodgy and dry pile. Nobody likes stodgy risotto!

Lemon and herbs last, if using – Lastly, add the lemon and fresh herbs. We do this right at the end to preserve the fresh flavour; and finally …

Plate up quickly while it’s still oozy and creamy! If it gets too thick waiting in the casserole, just add 1 tbsp of boiling water at a time and stir it in well to loosen it up.

Pesto Shrimp Risotto For One

 

Pesto Shrimp Risotto For One

Preparing a recipe for one usually leaves you with many leftover ingredients not often used in your daily meal preparation or ingredients with a short shelf life.  Well this recipe is different.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot chopped

1/2 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth

2 cups chicken, seafood or vegetable stock, heated

4 gorgeous shrimp,  peeled  and deviled

3 tablespoons your favorite jarred pesto 

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 pinch salt and pepper

Directions:                                                                            

In a medium sized braiser or any high-sided pan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot for a couple of minutes or until translucent,  Stir in the rice and continue stirring to coat the grains.  Add the wine and stir as the alcohol evaporates.  Stir the rice continuously while adding stock by 1/4 cup increments,

When the rice has just a slight crunch and near done, add the shrimp.  Caution!  Shrimp over-cooked becomes tough.  When rice has finished cooking and is creamy add the pesto, sour cream, salt and white pepper.  Serve immediately.

Seafood Pasta is never eaten topped with Parmesan cheese.

Dumplings In Hunter's Sauce ~ Knodel mit JagersoBe

Knödel mit Jägersoße (Dumplings in a hunter's sauce)

It's still potato season and I still have a lot to work through! Germans have a lot of varieties of dumplings that go by many names depending on the region. These are made with mashed potatoes and a mushroom cream sauce. Simple but filling.

Ingredients:

Dumplings:

2 1/2 pounds starchy potatoes (Russet or white potatoes)

4 slices of stale crusty bread

2 tablespoons butter (more in needed)

1 tablespoon starch

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

JagersoBe:

2 pounds mushrooms

1 shallot

2 cloves garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Thyme, 

Balsamic Vinegar to taste

Tablespoon tomato paste

1 to 2 Tablespoons flour 

Stock or water

Cream

Directions:

Boil 2.5 lbs of starchy potatoes until fork tender. Peel the skins off and put through a potato ricer (or mash until smooth) and cool completely. 

Cut 4 slices crusty, stale bread into cubes and fry in a little butter to make croutons. 

Mix into the potatoes 1 Tablespoon corn/potato starch, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt and pepper. 

Form into a small tennis ball, add a crouton into the middle, boil 15-20 minutes. 

Remove and serve with Jägersoße.

Jägersoße.

Dice 2lbs mushrooms, 1 shallot, and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook in butter for 10 minutes. 

Add salt, pepper, thyme, and balsamic vinegar to taste. May add tbsp of tomato paste as well. 

Add 1-2 tbsp flour and cook for a few minutes. 

Add stock or water and cook until sauce forms. May add a bit of cream as well.

Bacon And Cheddar Soup With Crushed Pretzels

Bacon And Cheddar Soup

With Crushed Pretzels

This soup will quickly become a Sunday lunch favourite. A crisp green salad with apples and walnuts is a great accompaniment.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
5 strips bacon
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) onion, finely diced
2 tbsp (30 mL) garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 L) warm chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon-style mustard
2 cups (500 mL) yellow-skinned potato,
peeled and finely diced
2 cups (500 mL) grated aged cheddar, divided
1 cup (250 mL) 35% cream
Salt and white pepper (optional)
1/4 cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped pretzels
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions:
In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add bacon strips and cook until fat has rendered and strips are cooked and nicely crisped. Remove from pan and let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to bacon fat, and cook until onions are translucent about 20 minutes.

Stir flour into the pot until well combined. Slowly whisk in all the stock and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add Dijon-style mustard and potatoes, bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

Let cool slightly, then blend until very smooth in a standard blender or by using an immersion blender.

Return soup to the pot, add 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cheese and cream. Simmer gently to melt the cheese. Season with salt and white pepper if needed.

Divide soup between four bowls and garnish equally with chopped bacon, pretzels, chives and remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese.
Serves 4

 

Spicy Chickpeas With Tomatoes and Kale

 Spicy Chickpeas With Tomatoes And Kale

This recipe has been slightly adapted from Jenny Rosenstrach’s latest book, The Weekday Vegetarians.
A FEW NOTES:
I’ve been making this with these slow cooker chickpeas, which couldn’t be simpler, and which are so tasty. If you don’t have a slow cooker and want to cook the chickpeas from scratch, here’s my guide. Of course, canned chickpeas are fine. I like the Goya brand.

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It also suggests serving it with rice, so I have been making this coconut rice to serve along side. The coconut rice calls for 3/4 cup coconut milk, and so I have been reserving this amount for the rice and then using the rest of the can for the chickpeas. The extra coconut milk makes the dish a little richer, I suppose, but it certainly does not taste too rich or sweet.

Finally, the original recipe calls for stirring 1/4 cup of warm water into a teaspoon of miso and stirring this in at the end. If you have miso on hand, go for it! If you don’t, don’t run out and get it. The dish is plenty flavorful without it, especially if you add a splash more coconut milk, as noted above. Alexandra Cooks

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Ingredients: 

Preparing Chickpeas
2 tablespoons grapeseed, olive, or other neutral oil
1/2 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 clove garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon or less)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons curry powder, I love Madras brand
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed
one 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or 1 lb. diced fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1 cup water or vegetable stock (I always use water)
2 to 4 cups stemmed and chopped fresh kale
1 teaspoon miso, optional, see notes above
1/4 cup (or more) unsweetened coconut milk
For Serving:
coconut rice, see notes above
naan
cilantro, optional
lime, optional

Directions:
In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, pinch salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the curry powder, and stir, coating it in the aromatics and toasting it a bit, another 2 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring it into the curry-coated aromatics, and cook for another minute or until the red color darkens and it smells toasty. 

Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them in the curry mixture. Cook for another two minutes or until the chickpeas are evenly coated in the spices; then taste a chickpea for seasoning. Adjust accordingly if it needs more salt or pepper to taste. 

Add the tomatoes and water (or stock) and simmer for 10 minutes or until everything is warmed through. Add more water as needed if it looks too thick — chickpeas can absorb a ton of liquid. Add the kale and cook until wilted. 

If using the miso, stir it into 1/4 cup warm water and add it to the skillet along with the coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. As noted above, I add more like 3/4 cup coconut milk and use another 3/4 cup coconut milk for this coconut rice. 

Serve with rice or naan, a lime wedge, and a sprinkle of cilantro, if you wish.

Market Chicken With Vegetables

 

Market Chicken with Vegetables

You can adjust the vegetables depending on what you like and what is in season. The sauce is light and the dish is easy to prepare. If you want to make it ahead of time, cook until the stock is added. When cool, place chicken breasts on top and bake when needed. Cavolo nero is also known as Tuscan cabbage and dino kale. The long dark green leaves have a strong but not bitter flavor.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 
4 chicken breasts, boneless but with skin on 
Salt and freshly ground pepper 
2 leeks, cut in ½-inch (1-cm) pieces (white and light green parts only) 
1 yellow zucchini, cut in 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces 
1 green zucchini, cut in 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces 
1 head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled, and root end removed 
4 radishes, cut in quarters 
1 bunch cavolo nero, sliced (Tusdcan Cabbage)
1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock 
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh chopped tarragon 
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). 

Heat oil on high heat in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the 4 chicken breasts (or use 2 skillets). Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and sear for 2 minutes or until skin is golden. Turn over and sear second side for 2 minutes or until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside. 

Add leeks and zucchini to skillet and sauté for 2 minutes, then add garlic cloves, radishes and cavolo nero. Stir everything together and cook another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over stock and tarragon, scraping the bottom of pan for any sticky bits. 

Place chicken on top and place in oven. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Sprinkle with chives before serving. 

Serves 4