Chive Risotto Cakes

Happy Meatless Monday!

I had the most fantastic birthday weekend ever, and celebrated the big thirty plus four. My mom had stayed over our house for the past week and helped me out with Elena. There's nothing like having your mom around the house to help you with little things since I'm moving a little bit slower these days. (26 weeks pregnant!) I was able to get some much needed errands done, bake my birthday cheesecake, and have a wonderful date night out with my husband. Eric and I dined at one of our favorite restaurants, Pizzeria Mozza, and shared this tasty pizza and another one. It had brought back several yummy foodie memories from our vacation in Italy.

One of my favorite dishes from Italy is risotto. It's one of those fancy dishes that I crave something indulgent and rich. I have had trouble with indulgent and rich dishes with this pregnancy, but this is a dish that is on a level that my palate can appreciate. Maybe because it's fried and has cheese, who can say no to cheesy carbs? This is a fantastic recipe to use if you want something a little fancy for a weeknight dinner. You can easily opt to use leftover risotto, if by chance there were any leftovers. It's a versatile recipe that you can substitute other cheeses as well, but Italian Fontina is an excellent creamy cheese when melted. Make sure to use a cheese that melts well.

Beer & Gouda Cheese Risotto

Ask my husband what my drink of choice is. He'll tell you: A glass of red wine.
What's his choice? A nice cold beer.

Well, let me elaborate - my husband enjoys fancy-schmancy beers that don't have the word "light" in them. Those are watered-down beers, and you'll probably need a 6 pack to feel the impact from one of his fancy beers. Eric's beers has something called IPA - "indian pale ales" which gives it tangy and hoppy or earthy-like tastes. Currently Eric's beer fridge has a bunch of "IPA" beers that he has been unable to drink with his on-going horrible cluster headaches. He can't mix alcohol with medication, and I won't touch the beers with a ten foot pole. Unless....I cook with it, and that's what I did. I used a Sam Adams Lemon Pepper Saison ale which is a classic Belgian-style brew from the Longshot American brew limited selection. It added a nice touch of citrus tang for the classic risotto dish garnished with fresh basil leaves and crispy prosciutto. Enjoy!

Beer & Gouda Cheese Risotto
Adapted from Made by Melissa
Ingredients:
3 ounces of prosciutto
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 cups Arborio rice
12 ounce bottle of beer (Sam Adams Collection was my preference)
3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces gouda cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
8 to 10 basil leaves, chiffonade
Salt & pepper
Preparation:
1. Heat the low sodium chicken broth to near boiling.
2. In a small skillet, cook the prosciutto until par crispy. Set aside for garnish.
3. In a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the rice, sautéeing until each grain is coated.
4. Add the beer and heat to simmer, stirring constantly. When the beer is mostly absorbed, add a ladleful of hot chicken broth to the saucepan. Stir constantly while simmering. Repeat procedure (stir and ladle) for around twenty minutes and and the rice should be tender to the taste before proceeding. The rice will produce a thick, creamy sauce in the course of cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove from heat, add the gouda & parmigiano reggiano cheese and stir well. Finish off with the 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Garnish with basil leaves and top with crispy prosciutto and add a sprinkle of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Review: The citrus tang and nutty gouda cheese are a great pairing in this risotto. I love making risotto because it's one of those dishes that you feel proud about when you're finished preparing it. This was such a great meal and one way I'll enjoy a beer. Bottoms up!

Butternut Squash Risotto

I've been making risotto ever since I saw Gordon Ramsey yell out "Get out of my kitchen, ya donkey!" This hilarious catchphrase is stuck in my head because the knuckleheads aka wanna-be chefs would always have to cook this dish for dinner. I'm not afraid to make risotto, but maybe I'm afraid to cook for Gordon Ramsey. I've been itching to make a new risotto, and I came across Ina Garten's. I'll admit that I'm slowly becoming a mad fan for her because all of the recipes that I've previously made, are ALL pretty darn good. I've never eaten butternut squash or cooked with it, too. So I liked the adventure of a new ingredient.

However, my biggest problem with this dish was finding butternut squash. I've seen it at TJ's in a bag, all cut and ready to cook. But I didn't want to cheat the recipe either. I searched high and low at my farmers market for this darn butternut squash, and the only thing I knew about it was it was orange. I looked at the squash area, and it was nowhere to be found. I scanned the area one more time, and I found it...and laughed. It had a little sticker of "butternut squash" placed on the bottom of it. My husband & I giggled like school kids because the squash looked so phallic! OMG, it was hilarious. Whatever, this crazy vegetable with the identity of a men's private part. haha. Moving on with my dish, the hardest part truly was cutting the butternut squash. I googled on how to do it, and found this perfect demo.


Butternut Squash Risotto
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups of vegetable stock
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preparation:
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
4. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned.
5. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.
6. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Review: I followed the recipe with a couple adjustments, added extra pancetta & used homemade vegetable stock. I couldn't stop eating the roasted butternut squash by itself either. I was pleasantly surprised by the sweetness of the squash, too. Absolutely wonderful risotto and one I'll be making again. YUM, thanks again Ina!

Dirty Risotto

Watching Hell's Kitchen makes you wonder about the quality of food the chefs make. Gordon Ramsey always critiquing how "al dente" the Risotto should be or how overcooked the beef wellington is, or yelling "get out of the kitchen, you DONKEY!" LMAO. Making risotto is not that difficult as Gordon Ramsey says it is.

TIPS: Please note that you will be constantly stirring the risotto to evenly distribute the heat. Make sure you use Arborio rice…not long grain rice. Never wash the rice, every bit of the rice starch gives the creamy flavors and the key to making risotto is to aim for creamy texture. Perfectly cooked risotto should not be hard or stick to your ladle, nor should be "cheesy rice." If you want a richer risotto, stir in a quarter cup of heavy cream at the last step. It gives it an incredibly smooth texture…soooo tasty!!!

Dirty Risotto
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis on Everyday Italian and seen on Kelseys Apple a Day
Ingredients:
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
*Optional: 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
*Optional: 1/4 cup frozen sweet corn
Directions:1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
5. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total.
6. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan, corn, spinach, and parsley.
7. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve immediately. Serves four as a main course or six as a side dish.
Review: I love this recipe from Giada. This is truly an Italian comfort food dish! I served it along with a side of foccacia bread with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette.

Osso Bucco & Risotto Milanese

I wanted to make a nice memorable dinner for our 1st wedding anniversary. Usually our home meals consist of meat and rice, or something with bread or potatoes. Eric had recently purchased an eight quart dutch oven that I had been eyeballing for some time now, and I knew I had to use it for this dinner. I've been dying to make Osso Bucco because the meat is so juicy, and tender...it literally falls off the bone. Osso Bucco is braised veal shanks with carrots, celery, onions and tomatoes. It's a great peasant dish, and also it was my first attempt at making this dish. I did my research on the best recipe to use, and best place to get the specialty meat, center-cut veal shanks. I even contacted my April knottie chef, Gerrie, to go over the details and my anixety of cooking a new dish. I invited our fave double date couple, Adrian and Monica, over to share the meal, too. They brought over the same exact bottle of wine that we drank on our wedding day, Hess Collection Wine from Mount Veeder - 2006. Overall, the dish was wonderful, and every bite was savory and delicious! It wasn't that hard to prepare, but a tasty dish worth every effort!

Osso Bucco & Risotto Milanese

Adapted from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" & "Joy of Cooking"

**Using my wonderful new 8 quart Dutch Oven**
6 veal shanks

Salt and pepper

Flour

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup diced onion

2/3 cup diced carrot

2/3 cup diced celery

1 cup dry white wine

2 strips lemon zest

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cup tomatoes in juices

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

3 - 4 parsley sprigs

Gremolada

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp finely minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced Italian parsley

Some notes from Marcella Hazan:- Veal shanks are best no thicker than 1 1/2 inches, otherwise they will not cook evenly.- Do not remove the white skin/membrane around shank, it adds flavor and creaminess to the dish. Make sure you allot enough time for the meat to cook, at least 2 to 3 hours for cooking.

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Tie each shank tightly with a piece of cooking twine to prevent them from falling apart during cooking. Season the shanks with salt & pepper. Flour both sides of the veal shank and pat off the excess.

2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the shanks on both sides until a brown crust forms, remove to a plate and set aside.

3. Turn down the heat to medium and add 4 tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the vegetables have softened. Add the wine and cook until it no longer smells alcoholic.

4. Nestle the shanks back into the vegetables. Add the lemon zest, chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley. Bring the contents to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.

5. Let it cook in the oven for about 2 - 3 hours or until the shanks are fork tender. Baste the shanks by basting the cooking liquid over them every 20 - 30 minutes.

6. If the pot is getting too dry, add a few tablespoons of water.

Optional step: After the shanks are done, carefully remove them from the pot and set aside on a plate. Puree the contents in the pot (the veggies and braising liquid) with an immersion blender for a more uniform sauce. Serve the osso buco over risotto Milanese. Carefully snip the twine around the shank and spoon the sauce over it. Top with a spoonful of the gremolada.

Risotto Milanese

Adapted from "Joy of Cooking"

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp butter

1/4 medium onion, finely diced

2 cups Arborio rice

A small pinch of saffron threads

1/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1 Tbsp cold butter

1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Note:- Do not rinse the rice, the starches on the outside of the grains is what makes the risotto creamy.- The chicken stock must be hot when you add it to the rice, so keep it in a saucepan on low heat on the stove while you're cooking. - Add the saffron threads to the hot water and let it steep.

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the rice and cook until the rice is coated with fat and starts to turn translucent around the edges.

2. Lower the heat to medium low, add the wine and cook while stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add one cup of the chicken stock, keeping it at a simmer, and cook uncovered while stirring constantly until almost all of the liquid as absorbed.

3. Add the chicken stock about 1/3 cup at a time until the liquid is absorbed. Keep it at a low simmer, and cook the rice while stirring constantly.

4. About 15 minutes in, after the chicken stock has been absorbed, add the saffron water (threads too) and continue to cook and stir. If you start running low on chicken stock, go ahead and use hot water or more chicken stock. Continue adding ladlefuls of broth, waiting until each addition has been almost absorbed before adding more.

5. Cook while constantly stirring until the rice is al dente, fully cooked but still retains a chew in the center. Take off heat and stir in a tablespoon of cold butter and grated Parmigiano.

Clearly a hearty dish that we ate to the bones!!!!!!! **TIP, save the bones for stock!***

Beer Cheese Risotto

Our last taco/poker party left us with a fridge full of beer!!!!! Yes, I was the only girl out of the bunch, too. I wanted to be able to cook with the beer...so I came across this recipe. It was pretty good!!

Adapted from ?

Ingredients:
½ large onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 cup arborio rice
2 cups hot vegetable stock (approximate)
½ cup beer or more
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

Heat the stock to near boiling. Sweat the onions & shallots in a heavy, medium saucepan with the olive oil, adding a generous pinch of salt. When the onions are soft and transparent, add the rice, sautéeing until each grain is coated.Add the beer and heat to simmer, stirring constantly. When the beer is mostly absorbed, add around a third to a half cup of hot stock (this should be heated in another pan close by). Stir constantly while simmering. Repeat procedure for around twenty minutes--most of the stock should be consumed and the rice should be tender to the taste before proceeding. The rice will produce a thick, creamy sauce in the course of cooking. Remove from heat, adding the Parmesan cheese and stirring to incorporate. Give the cheese a chance to dissolve and melt, then add the cheddar. Stir to melt and incorporate. If a cheesier rice is desired, add more.