Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Mushroom Risotto=BEST MIDNIGHT SNACK!!

So there I was, sitting on the couch, glass of ice water in hand....watching Chopped on Food Network. I always get so excited when they reveal the ingredients in each basket as I try to come up with something they could make. This particular night I got those oh so joyous hunger pangs and decided it was time to make something soul satisfying.

Immediately I recalled the half container of sliced mushrooms in the fridge that was going to go bad if they weren't used soon as well as the countless quart jars of homemade vegetable stock in the pantry as well as the giant bag of rice in there that gets very little use now that the husband has gone caveman on me. Or should I say Primal...Paleo...well no...primal as he still partakes in the occasional dairy treat and some sweeteners.

Anywho enough about that...onto the good stuff. I made a delicious pot full of mushroom risotto. Oh my word it was so delicious, I've never had risotto before and had never made it as it's always intimidated me. There were leftovers (I did eat 2 bowls though) and so the next night I made arancini di riso to go along with dinner which is lovely balls of risotto with mozzarella cheese in the middle, rolled in bread crumbs and fried.

So how can you make this at home? Let's get down to business..

Ingredients:(this recipe is adapted from a Giada de Laurentiis recipe)

One and a half quart jars of homemade Vegetable/Chicken Stock
3 tablespoons butter
one onion finely chopped
handful of mushrooms finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

First things first get that stock warmed through, pour into a seperate pan and bring it to a simmer, then cover it until time to use it.

Melt 2 tbsp. of your butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add in your onions and mushrooms and saute until tender, do NOT brown the onions. After they are nice and soft toss in the garlic until it becomes super fragrant. Add in the rice and stir it around in the veggie mix to coat. Add in the wine and simmer until the wine is just about completely evaporated, about 3 minutes or so. Start ladling in your stock, (the recipe calls for 1/2 a cup at a time, I did a ladle full at a time) and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue this process, adding in the broth until the rice absorbs it all and then adding in another ladle full of stock. You'll do this until the rice is tender but with a little bite to it and the mixture has a delicious creamy consistency, it took about 25 minutes for me. Take your risotto off the heat and then add in the remaining tablespoon of butter, the cheese and the salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately!

I am NOT technically savvy, just the opposite in fact, so I have no idea how to post a picture taken with my iPhone. If any of you know and would like to let me in on that secret so I can give you a picture to look at of this deliciousness please TELL ME! hehehe

Tomorrow I'll do my best to post an update on the garden.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Is it really MAY already?!

Wow, so time flies when you don't pay attention to the Calendar. My inbox was inundated with recipes for Cinco de Mayo and our 2 week menu plan I put together has us eating turkey kebabs, hummus, naan and tzatziki. Ahh the joys of motherhood. Although...none of us are Mexican so it's not even really a day for us right? I always find that funny, we're all honorary Mexicans on the 5th of May so we have an excuse to drink a pitcher of margaritas regardless of whether it's a Monday or a Saturday.

Anyhow, this post isn't really going in any certain direction but I know it's been awhile. I'm afraid I've caught the couponing bug. Yep, not TLC style but I've got a binder. I'm cheap...what can I say? If someone says I can get free products or reduce my grocery bill then hell yeah where do I sign up?!

I will try to be better with this though. I was contemplating waiting up to watch the Justified season finale but I'm exhausted. It's been a loooong day. I think tomorrow I'll do an update on the garden so I can show you it's progress so far...and the rest of the garden for that matter. Oh and how our compost pile has turned into a mini garden of it's own. Guess that means the soil was good right?!