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!

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. :)