Lovely's Asian Style Risotto

 I LOVE risotto, but I've never really been brave enough to make it at home. Until now! My friend D shared this recipe with me and raved about it so much that I just had to give it a try. Now, I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with this recipe (and any risotto for that matter), so I'm going to share this recipe with you and hope you get hooked too.

I've forgotten what cookbook this recipe is from, so if you are able to let me know and I will be sure to update the source to give credit where credit is due. In the mean time, I am going to share this recipe with you so you can get started on your own risotto craze.

Lovely's Asian Style Risotto with Chili Garlic Drizzle
Recipe adapted from unknown source

Chili-Garlic Drizzle Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 jalepeno, finely chopped and seeded
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Heat the sesame oil in a small pan and saute chili pepper and garlic until fragrant. Remove from heat and add the soy, vinegar and sugar. Set aside.

Risotto Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 100 grams pancetta, diced
• 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 cups hot chicken stock (more or less)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 cup fresh spinach, loosly chopped
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:

1. In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil until softened. Add the pancetta and mushrooms and saute until lightly browned. Add the rice and keep stirring until golden.
2. Add wine and keep simmering and stirring adding the hot stock 1/2 cup at a time until risotto is creamy and cooked al dente. Stir in butter.
3. When you are ready to serve, add fresh cilantro, spinach, parmesan and mix together lightly. The spinach should be just wilted. Spoon your reserved chili-garlic drizzle over the plated risotto and serve sprinkled with more parmesan and cilantro.

Enjoy! This one is soooooo delicious. Plus, the chili garlic drizzle is good on pretty much anything, so give it a try. :)

Happy Cooking my Friends!

SRC: Mushroom & Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

Can you believe its time for another SRC post already? I am so excited about the blog I was assigned this month!!! I honestly had such a hard time deciding what to make and will be making more recipes in the future. I was assigned the blog Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body which is written by Julia from California. Julia seems to be a girl after my own heart because she bakes so many delectable looking desserts (you have to check out her s'more aniversary cake - I can't wait to make it!!!), and she also LOVES goat cheese... so much that she even made goat cheese frozen yogurt! Who woulda thought - it actually looked delicious and I was super tempted to try it out... but I settled for making a savory bread pudding - mushroom and goat cheese bread pudding to be exact.

And it was delish!! What a great recipe - I would definitely make it again, but not before I try out some other recipes from Julia's blog. It was so hard not to join as a follower this month and give myself away! Thanks Julia for posting such amazing recipes and thanks to Amanda & co. at the SRC for hosting this awesome group each month.

On to the recipe!

Mushroom & Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

Minimally adapted from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups stale bread slices, cut into cubes


• 1 egg


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1 cup chopped mushrooms


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 tbsp minced fresh herbs (I used rosemary and chives)


• 2 ounces goat cheese


• salt and pepper


• proscuitto and additional goat cheese for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.


2. In a medium bowl whisk together egg, milk, garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.


3. Add bread cubes, mushrooms and goat cheese to egg mixture. Stir gently just to incorporate. Pour into two ramekins and let stand for 15 minutes.


4. Meanwhile, pan fry a couple slices of proscuitto in a pre-heated skillet until crispy. Crumble and reserve for later.


5. Bake 30-35 minutes until pudding puffs up and custard is set. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with crumbled crispy proscuitto and additional goat cheese.

And thats that! Be prepared to see more recipes from Julia's blog because everything she makes sounds to die for. If you want to learn more about the SRC or join, you can check out the SRC website here.

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms with Pancetta

Well, we're over half way through the week now! Woohoo! And tomorrow is St. Patty's day - so be sure to wear something green. :) If you're entertaining this weekend or even if you just want to try out a new recipe, try out these amazing stuffed mushrooms. You will be blown away by how perfect they are. They're so flavourful with a hint of spice from a pinch of red chilli flakes. You and your guests will love them, if you even want to share.


These mushrooms are great because you can make them ahead and then just pop them into the oven right before you need to serve them. They're surprisingly easy and quick to prepare!

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms with Pancetta
Recipe from the Best of Fine Cooking Magazine, Party Food and Cocktails 2010

Ingredients

• 35-40 cremini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 lb), about 1 1/2-2 inches wide
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, more for the baking dish
• 1 1/2 oz pancetta, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)\5 medium shallots, finely diced
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs (preferably from a day-old rustic french or italian loaf)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-regiano
• 2 to 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425F. Trim and discard the very bottom of the mushroom stems. Remove the mushroom stems and finely chop them, along with 5 of the largest mushroom caps.
2. Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute and add 2 tbsp of the butter. When it has melted, add the pancetta and cook until it starts to render some of its fat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shallots, sage and red pepper flakes, cook gently until the shallots are tender, about 4 minutes (reduce the heat if shallots begin to brown). Stir in the chopped mushroom stems and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter. When it has melted, transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and parmigiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool slightly.
3. Butter a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the mushrooms in one layer. Arrange the mushrooms in the dish and season the cavities with salt. Stuff each cavity with a rounded 1 tsp of the filling, or more as needed. The filling should form a tall mound. You may have leftover filling; if you have extra mushrooms, keep stuffing until you run out of filling.
4. Drizzle the mushrooms with the olive oil. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve warm.

Thats that! Since its a week night and you're sure to be busy, I'll keep this post short. Hope you enjoy this fantastic recipe and take the time to give it a try this weekend. Happy Cooking my Friends! Be sure to stay tuned for some more great recipes this weekend. :)

Sauteed Mushrooms on Crostini

Starting to think about your Super Bowl party? Looking for some classy and delicious appetizers to serve to your guests that aren't the typical natchos that Superbowl parties are known for? Make this appetizer! It is so yummy tasting and quick and easy to make. This recipe is also versatile - pile it onto crosini for a simple appetizer, garnish a creamy soup with it, or top your barbequed steak with it! I am drooling right now thinking about how good this was.

Since I know you're busy and its a week night I will keep this post short! So - on to the recipe.

The Mushroom Thing
Recipe minimally adapted from The Girl Can't Cook

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 500g fresh wild and/or domestic mushrooms, sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• a bit of fresh thyme

Method:

1. In a nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, until the garlic just begins to colour lightly (not brown). Add the onion and cook a minute longer, then stir in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
2. If you are using any dried mushrooms in the mixture, cover them with cold water or white wine and microwave for 1 minute, then let them sit in hot liquid until they've rehydrated. Drain and combine with the fresh sliced mushrooms in the pan. Cook until the mushrooms give up their liquid and begin to colour, about 5-10minutes, then stir in the white wine. Cook until most of the liquid is gone.
3. If using cream, stir it in now and continue cooking until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Season with the fresh herbs and serve with toasts or crusty bread. Makes approximately 2 cups.
   
   

Happy Cooking my Friends! Wishing you a great week... only 4 days left til the weekend! :D

Chicken with Creamy Pesto Sauce

I made this recipe a while ago and I am finally getting around to posting about it. This is a quick and easy recipe that is great to make on a weeknight after work. You'll be out of the kitchen in no time. Using a good quality bottled basil pesto will ensure your pasta has the best possible flavour. Evaporated milk instead of heavy cream adds creaminess without a lot of extra fat. Add some steamed vegetables to round out this dish and you've got yourself a quick and delicious weeknight meal.

I really enjoy the Classico Basil Pesto when I don't have time to make my own. Its flavourful and really reasonably priced in the grocery store. I know you're all busy and don't have time to read a rambling post, so I'll keep this one short and sweet. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. The leftovers are great tasting - it seemed like the flavours really married so nicely when the dish had a chance to sit overnight in the fridge.

Chicken with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Recipe from Canadian Living Everyday Favorites, p. 212

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 can (384 ml) evaporated 2% milk
• 2 tbsp basil pesto (or 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil)

Method:

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.
2. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper; fry over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until no liquid from mushrooms remains, about 10 minutes.
3. Add wine; cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Whisk flour into evaporated milk; add to pan and cook stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pesto.
4. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat. Simmer until no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.
5. Serve chicken over cooked pasta with steamed veggies.

This chicken was delicious and with how easy it is to make, you'll be relaxing in no time. And maybe your husband will like it so much he'll offer to clean up afterwards... haha Yeah Right!! Don't hold your breath.

Happy Cooking my Friends!