The Real Housewife of Santa Monica

Posts Tagged ‘rice’

Summer Vegetable & Goat Cheese Risotto

This is AMAZING!!!! It requires a little more babysitting than I typically have time for but the stars aligned here & Bea slept through the constant stirring & checking, waking only when it was done. (Thanks, Bea!) Not only is this pretty to look at but it’s sooooooo tasty & full of veggies. A little something special. Next time I make this it will be for guests since it is such a labor of love. But still MUCH easier than I had expected…

Here’s what you need (more or less):

INGREDIENTS:
5 c low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (I used vegetarian chicken flavored bullion)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP butter (unsalted if you have it)
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled & finely diced
1 c asparagus, end snapped off & finely diced
1/2 c cauliflower pieces
1 c mushrooms, scrubbed & diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP olive oil (additional)
1 TBSP butter (additional)
1-1/2 c arborio rice
1-1/2 c dry white wine
1-1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 c frozen peas
4 oz, goat cheese
1/2 c parmesan cheese
fresh dill for garnish
OPTIONAL: change out any veggies you like or have: broccoli, squash, bell peppers, zucchini

Let’s get started! You’ll be surprised how easy this is – I was a little intimidated to make a risotto after hearing about all the work but this wasn’t difficult at all. That said, it requires a lot more than a crock pot soup.

1. Dice onion & veggies. You want them diced finely & uniformly so they’ll cook evenly & quickly.

Which reminds me, when a recipe calls for “trimmed asparagus,” have you ever found that actually cutting it does NOT ensure the tough ends are gone? Try just snapping the end off wherever it naturally “wants” to snap. No more impossible to chew end!

Simmer broth in a small saucepan – keep it on low.

In a large pot, heat 2 TBSP of olive oil and then melt 2TBSP of butter into that.

Once it’s heated, add the diced onions, carrots. Stir & cook for 3 minutes.

Add asparagus, stir to coat & cook for another minute or so.

Yummmmm…

Add chopped mushrooms.

Add salt, stir to combine. Turnout veggies from pot onto a platter. (You’re going to use that same pot for the risotto so don’t clean it!)

Ok. Now, add the ADDITIONAL 2 TBSP olive oil to the pot/Dutch oven you just cooked the vegetables in. Heat on medium-low & add the ADDITIONAL 2 TBSP butter.

Add rice & stir (keeping heat on medium-low).

Cook for 1 minute.

Add 1/2 the wine and 1-1/2 tsp salt.

Now, get your stirrin’ hand ready. From now on you’ll be stirring a lot. Just an easy stir though – nothing too strenuous.

Stir the rice & wine every once in a while until the liquid has been absorbed. (I think you are supposed to stir constantly but I had to run and get something for Maddie or wash a dish etc. so I just stirred often.)

Here’s the liquid. You don’t want liquid. Rice wants liquid.

Now, keep adding 1 cup at a time of your simmering broth to the rice & stirring until it has been absorbed (before you add the next cup.) I think that was awkward writing. Just add a cup of the remaining broth (which is on LOW), keep stirring rice until the liquid has been absorbed. Now add another cup of broth & stir until THAT liquid has been absorbed. Capiche? This is the part that takes a while but you can do some other stuff in between stirs.

Taste your rice to see if it’s done. If it has too much bite to it, add more broth.

I didn’t actually use ALL my broth – I reserved a 1/2 c of broth to add later in case my final risotto was too thick.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add the peas and stir. Taste to check salt content. Add salt to taste.

Now for the REALLY yummy part: add the goat cheese & stir. It helps to slice it up a bit. I didn’t.

Add the parmesan cheese and

the vegetables

and stir to combine.

Holy smoke! Creamy, fresh & extra-special comfort food.

Who gave the baby a cupcake before dinner?

 

 

Summer Vegetable & Goat Cheese Risotto
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6-8
 

Extra special creamy comfort food using any fresh veg you have on hand.
Ingredients
  • 5 c low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (I used vegetarian chicken flavored bullion)
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP butter (unsalted if you have it)
  • ½ large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled & finely diced
  • 1 c asparagus, end snapped off & finely diced
  • ½ c cauliflower pieces
  • 1 c mushrooms, scrubbed & diced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 TBSP olive oil (additional)
  • 1 TBSP butter (additional)
  • 1-1/2 c arborio rice
  • 1-1/2 c dry white wine
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
  • ½ c frozen peas
  • 4 oz, goat cheese
  • ½ c parmesan cheese
  • fresh dill for garnish
  • OPTIONAL: change out any veggies you like or have including: broccoli, squash, bell peppers, zucchini

Instructions
  1. Dice onion & veggies. You want them diced finely & uniformly so they’ll cook evenly & quickly.
  2. Simmer broth in a small saucepan – keep it on low.
  3. In a large pot, heat 2 TBSP of olive oil and then melt 2TBSP of butter into that.
  4. Once it’s heated, add the diced onions, carrots. Stir & cook for 3 minutes.
  5. Add asparagus, stir to coat & cook for another minute or so.
  6. Add chopped mushrooms.
  7. Add salt, stir to combine. Turnout veggies from pot onto a platter. (You’re going to use that same pot for the risotto so don’t clean it!)
  8. Add the ADDITIONAL 2 TBSP olive oil to the pot/Dutch oven you just cooked the vegetables in. Heat on medium-low & add the ADDITIONAL 2 TBSP butter.
  9. Add rice & stir (keeping heat on medium-low).
  10. Cook for 1 minute.
  11. Add ½ the wine and 1-1/2 tsp salt.
  12. Stir the rice & wine every once in a while until the liquid has been absorbed. (I think you are supposed to stir constantly but I had to run and get something for Maddie or wash a dish etc. so I just stirred often.)
  13. Keep adding 1 cup at a time of your simmering broth to the rice & stirring until it has been absorbed (before you add the next cup.) I think that was awkward writing. Just add a cup of the remaining broth (which is on LOW), keep stirring rice until the liquid has been absorbed. Now add another cup of broth & stir until THAT liquid has been absorbed.
  14. Taste your rice to see if it’s done. If it has too much bite to it, add more broth.
  15. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add the peas and stir. Taste to check salt content. Add salt to taste.
  16. Add the goat cheese & stir. It helps to slice it up a bit. I didn’t.
  17. Add the parmesan cheese and the vegetables stirring to combine.
  18. Serve with a sprig of fresh dill!

Notes
This would go well with a fresh green salad!

Source: Slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

Meatless Monday Wild Rice Casserole

How many Sunday nights have I found myself making promises? To myself.

“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to cut out all sugar.”

“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to do 100 crunches every morning.”

“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to finish _____________.” (Fill-in the blank with one of any countless unfinished projects.)

Screw that! I’m going to make one goal that’s easy to accomplish. I’m going to eat something healthy.

Here’s a simple, yummy recipe for “Meatless Monday.” I think I ate the whole thing myself.

You need:

Too bad, Libby!

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs (I used egg replacer)
1 c cottage cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
Salt
1 TBSP olive oil or unsalted butter
8 oz crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 c cooked wild rice (and/or brown rice) Btw: it’s a little embarrassing to reveal what a flake I am but I actually boiled 3 c of dry wild rice. Do you know how much COOKED rice that is? A ton. You are supposed to end up with 3 c of cooked rice. But if you do accidentally make a few vats of rice, just put it in some freezer Zip-locs and chuck it in the freezer for next time!
1/3 c grated Gruyere cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon or thyme

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a medium-large baking dish with olive oil or butter. (I used an 8×11 casserole dish.)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, mustard, and a scant 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Heat olive oil over high heat in a large skillet with a pinch of salt.

Stir in mushrooms.
After stirring to coat with oil, leave mushrooms sautéing for about 5 minutes.

Continue cooking, stirring every couple of minutes.

4. Add onions to mushrooms & cook for another 4-5 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Add garlic, stir and cook for another minute. Remove pan from heat.

5. Add rice to skillet & stir.

6. Add rice mixture to the cottage cheese mixture and stir until combined.

7. Pour mixture into greased baking dish.

Sprinkle with two-thirds of the grated cheese and cover with aluminum foil.

Sometimes I don’t read the directions closely, so I added my tarragon at this point. I actually had fresh tarragon for the first time in my life, having just planted it in my backyard. Even though this is the wrong order, doesn’t this look delish?

Anyway, bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20-30 minutes, until the casserole is golden brown.

This is seriously so good! Serve with a green salad. I didn’t because I never have time to make more than one component. But I would! If this didn’t turn you on, stay tuned for REALLY easy chocolate cake. Remember my No Knead Bread? This is the No Knead Bread of Chocolate Cakes.

 

Here’s a gratuitous kids shot. Valentine’s Night.

 

Meatless Monday Wild Rice Casserole Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Side
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Tasty rice side dish that also serves well as a main with a leafy green salad!
Ingredients
  • 2 large eggs (or egg replacer)
  • 1 c cottage cheese
  • ½ c sour cream
  • 1 tsp Dijon or whole grain mustard
  • Sea salt
  • 1 TBSP olive oil or unsalted butter
  • 8 oz crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 c cooked wild rice and/or brown rice (use whichever you have or a little of each!)
  • ⅓ c grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon or thyme

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a medium size baking pan with olive oil or butter.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, mustard and scant ½ tsp salt.
  3. Heat oil in large skillet with pinch of salt. Stir in mushrooms. Leave mushrooms to cook for about 5 minutes undisturbed. After about 5 minutes, stir again every few minutes. Add onion to mushrooms, stir and cook until translucent for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Then remove skillet from heat.
  4. Add rice to skillet & stir to combine. Then add rice mixture to cottage cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle ⅔ of the cheese on top, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake another 20-30 minutes, until casserole is golden brown, especially around the edges.
  5. Serve with remaining cheese & tarragon or thyme.

Notes
The cook time includes 45-60 minutes to cook wild rice. You can also buy pre-cooked wild or brown rice to save time! If you buy pre-cooked rice, the cook time is about an hour for the baking and 10-12 minutes for sautéing veggies.

From Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day.



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