Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

I love risotto.  I just can't help it.  Regular rice is awesome, too, but there is something about the creamy goodness of risotto that warms the heart.  Maybe it's because it is one of the things that people on cooking shows screw up all of the time --and I usually don't!

I've tried several different recipes.  But last night, I decided to take my favorite elements of several recipes and make my own.  It turned out wonderfully.  Doug said it was the best risotto that I ever made!

8 slices of bacon (I might actually use a little less)

2 ½ T butter

1 medium onion, diced

¼ red onion, diced

1/2 8oz package of mushrooms, diced

Minced garlic

2 c Arborio rice

8 c chicken broth

¼ c white wine

1 c heavy cream

½ c grated parmesan

·         Cook bacon until crisp.  When cool, crumble into little pieces

·         Heat chicken broth to boiling in separate pan

·         Melt butter in stock pot with some olive oil.  Add onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).

·         Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.

·         Add rice and stir to coat.  Cook for 2 minutes

·         Season with salt and pepper

·         Begin adding hot broth to rice mixture, one cup at a time.  Allow rice to cook until liquid is absorbed.  (Most recipes say to stir constantly.  But they don’t do that on Chopped so I don’t either!)

·         Continue cooking rice, adding 1 c of hot broth at a time and stirring, allowing to cook down.  Halfway through, add wine to mixure

·         After all broth is added and rice is cooked completely, add cream and parmesan.  Cook for a couple more minutes to ensure cream is heated.

 

 Snickerdoodle Blondies

There are a number of these recipes available on the internet.  This one is slightly different because it uses marscapone cheese.  I took these to a family dinner recently and they were consumed in record time.  They are one of those desserts that people beg you to keep away from them because they are so good!

from http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com 

Ingredients:
8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
3 ounces Mascarpone cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
¾ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Sugar for coating (about 1/3 cup)


1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and move pan around to make sure that the bottom and sides are coated. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cream of tartar.
4. Using an stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat for three minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
5. Add the Mascarpone cheese and beat until fully incorporated.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
7. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
8. On low speed add the sifted flour mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
9. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. This will be hard as it is a thick batter. I found it easiest to just wet my hands a little and press the batter into the pan. Then even it out afterwards with a spatula.
10. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top of the batter.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Don't be tempted to take them out early.  If you leave them in the full 25 minutes, you'll get these crispy edges that are to die for.

spicy Chinese beef

Doug and I discovered a Chinese dish that we love.  But i haven't been able to find a recipe, so i made one up.

2 to 3 lbs beef short ribs
1/2 c olive oil
3 T minced garlic
Soy sauce
1/2 cup flour

3 T minced garlic
Minced ginger
2 onions, diced
2 cups water
Mirin
Sweet soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Schezuan peppers
Star anise
Pepper oil, 1 teaspoon

Cut beef off of bones.  Marinade in olive oil, garlic and soy sauce for an hour.  Pour off marinade and sprinkle flour over meat.


Heat oil in wok.  Add garlic and ginger.  Add beef.  (i cooked the meat in two batches).  After meat is cooked, remove from pan.  Add more oil and saute onions until soft.

Mix water, soy sauces, mirin, peppers, anise, and pepper oil.

Add meat and sauce back to wok.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat.  Simmer for 30 to 60 minutes.  Serve over rice

Rene's Thai Coconut Curry

Doug and I are both crazy about ethnic food.  I almost always order the same thing -- Spicy Thai Basil Chicken and Thai Red Curry.  We figured out how to make the Thai Basil Chicken a while ago -- with the help of the lady at the local oriental market.

Our next dish to conquer was the Red Curry.  After quite a bit of research, I decided that using Red Curry Paste from Thai Kitchen was an acceptable shortcut.  (I used it a couple times to make sure).

Then I started experimenting.  Tonight I hit upon the perfect mix of ingredients.  This is roughly based on Scrumptious Thai Coconut Red Curry from Food.com.

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 lbs chicken, cut into small pieces
2 onions, sliced thinly
1 green pepper, sliced thinly
1 c thai basil, minced
1 can bamboo shoots
1 c sliced mushrooms
3 T minced garlic
1 can coconut milk
1 can coconut cream
3 T red curry paste
2 T fish sauce
3 T brown sugar
1 c chicken broth
Thai crushed pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Melt butter in saucepan.  Add 1 T olive oil and heat. 
2. Add onions, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Saute until vegetables until soft.  add 1/2 of basil and heat.  Remove vegetables from pan.
3. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pan and heat.  Add chicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until no longer pink.  Remove from pan.
4. Add coconut milk, coconut cream and red curry paste to pan.  Whisk together and heat for five minutes
5.  Add fish sauce, chicken broth, thai pepper and brown sugar.  Whisk.  Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Add chicken, vegetables and remaining basil to sauce.  Heat for five  minutes.
7. Serve over basmati rice

Classic Strawberry Shortcake

I got this recipe, including the photo, from myrecipes.com
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-strawberry-shortcake-10000001191565/

It originally came from Southern Living magazine

I made one small change, which is included in the recipe below.

Ingredients

2 (16-oz.) containers fresh strawberries, quartered
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 1/4 cup whipping cream, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup cold butter, cut up
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Preparation

1. Combine strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, and, if desired, almond extract. Cover berry mixture, and let stand 2 hours.

2. Beat 1 c whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add 2 Tbsp. sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Cover and chill up to 2 hours.

3. Combine flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl; cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

4. Whisk together eggs, sour cream, remaining whipping cream (1/4 c) and vanilla until blended; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop dough by lightly greased 1/3 cupfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet. (Coat cup with vegetable cooking spray after each drop.)

5. Bake at 450° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

6. Split shortcakes in half horizontally. Spoon about 1/2 cup berry mixture onto each shortcake bottom; top each with a rounded Tbsp. chilled whipped cream, and cover with tops. Serve with remaining whipped cream. Garnish, if desired.

Strawberry Jam Shortcakes: Prepare recipe as directed. Before topping shortcake bottoms with strawberry mixture, stir together 1/4 cup strawberry jam and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint. Spread cut sides of bottom shortcake halves evenly with jam mixture. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Creamy Parmesan Garlic Orzo

I originally got this recipe from allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/parmesan-garlic-orzo/)

This recipe is for a side dish but I wanted to use it for a main dish.  So, this includes my modifications.


Ingredients

3 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup butter
1/4 c olive oil
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
4 slices of bacon, cut in pieces
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (or any combination of Asiago, Parmesan and Romano)
1/2 c half and half
1 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions


1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.

2.Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and heat until warm. Saute bacpn, onion and garlic in melted butter/oil until lightly browned. Stir orzo into garlic mixture and mix in Parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, black pepper, and parsley.

Fresh Fruit Crumble

I found this recipe on food.com as a Peach Crumble.  But my husband doesn't like peaches.  So, after making it with peaches, I also decided to make it with apples.  It was delicious both ways.

Ingredients:

6 cups peeled sliced ripe peaches(or apples)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon

TOPPING

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

1.   Heat oven to 375*.
2. Put fruit slices in greased, shallow 11x7 baking dish.
3. Mix brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, peel, and cinnamon.
4.  Sprinkle over the fruit.
5.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
6.  Stir in egg until mixture is coarse crumbs.
7 . Sprinkle over fruit.
8. Drizzle butter evenly over topping.
9. Bake for 38 minutes.