mushroom risotto

As part of our fall feast on Saturday night I made mushroom risotto. Two winters ago I was a great lover of risotto, easily I made it once a week. I think Pete was a little risotto'ed out! However when we saw the lovely lobster and oyster mushrooms at the farmer's market, I knew that it would be a risotto night! This is a basic risotto, nothing to spectacular about it, but so yummy and filling. Topped with asiago cheese instead of parmigiano reggiano, it is a slightly different flavour. My favourite thing about risotto is that you can be super creative with it. So get out there and get mix match and enjoy a hearty dinner!

Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp
3 cups assorted mushrooms roughly chopped
2 shallots, finely minced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup cooking sherry
4 cups veggie stock (approx)
1/3 cup grated asiago cheese
chopped garlic chives to top

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, heat up veggie stock.
2. Heat half of the olive oil and butter in a non-stick skillet. Add chopped mushrooms and allow to cook the water out.
3. With a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms from the pan. Drain the "juices" to a bowl on the side.
4. Heat up remainder of olive oil and butter, over med heat sautee onions until translucent - 8-10 minutes. Add garlic.
5. Just before garlic and onion brown, add rice. Toast for about 90 seconds.
6. Add cooking sherry. Stir and allow to be absorbed.
7. Add mushroom juices that you had reserved, stir and allow to cook out for about 1-2 minutes.
8. Add 1/3 cup stock, stir, allow to absorb, stir occasionally - I don't find you need to stir risotto constantly if you are using a non-stick pan. Repeat this step until the risotto is al dente.
   
9. Remove from heat.
10. Take almost all of the sauteed mushrooms (reserve enough to top the plated risotto) and add to the pan. Stir in the grated cheese (again reserving some for topping), stir and cover. Let sit for 3 minutes.
11. Dish onto plates, top with reserved mushrooms, cheese and chives.
    
12. Optional - drizzle with a little olive oil.

Serves 2

mushroom barely salad

Do you ever have one of those nights when you just don't know what to cook, and you stare into the fridge, the cupboard, the pantry...you sigh over and over again... just wanting to not deal with it, and have food magically appear? (I recognize the irony of a person with a food blog complaining about not knowing what to make.) Well a few weeks ago I was home alone and the idea of making a full meal just for me seemed ridiculous, but at the same time I couldn't bring myself around to eating cereal. So I pulled out the supplies I had...and this was the result:

Ingredients:
1 cup barely
2 1/2 cups veggie stock
(you could use water, but I found this gave the barely nice flavouring...kind of like risotto!)
1/4 yellow onion finely diced
1 clove of garlic minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 green onion, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice from one lemon
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to garnish

Directions:

1. Combine barley and stock or water in a pot (if using water I would encourage you to add a little salt as you would when cooking pasta). Bring it to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce to low, cover and allow to simmer for 35 minutes. Check for done-ness, it may need a few more minutes.
   
2. Meanwhile, using one tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, fry up the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Once everything is softened, and the onions are translucent remove from heat, and allow to come to room temperature.
3. Allow barely to cool. I found putting it on a plate and spreading it all out was a good method.
4. Once everything is nice and cool, combine the sautéed veg, green onions, barley remaining olive oil, lemon juice and mix.
   
5. Add crumbled feta - don't over mix otherwise the feta will disintegrate.
   
6. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
   
7. Top with parsley as garnish.
   

yam fries + chipotle mayo

These make a great snack, appy or side. I think they are best to make when your other mealtime tasks are minimal. I know that deep frying is so bad for you, but everyone once in a while right? All good things in moderation!

Ingredients
2-3 small yams
3 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
6 cups water

3/4 cup mayo
2 cloves roasted garlic
juice from one lemon
2-4 chipotle peppers

Directions:

1. Bring water a boil
2. Heat oil to about 375 degree F
3. Peal, wash and slice up yams
4. Boil yams for about 1-2 minutes
5. Strain yams, do not rinse, and lay out on towel to absorb extra moisture
   
6. Carefully fry a handful of yams for about 2 minutes, remove and let drain on paper towel
7. Fry remainder of yams
8. Fry up yams in similar fashion a second time, this time let batches fry for about 4-5 min until golden brown
9. Drain yams on a paper towel
10. In a bowl, add yams and toss with salt and Cajun spice.

To make the chipotle mayo, in a food processor combine mayo, roasted garlic, lemon juice and chipotle (to taste).

Enjoy!

spicy szcheuan green beans

I love anything spicy. And these are one of my favourites! I also love green beans (especially in a caesar!). Anyhow, these are an easy side for chicken and rice, or aside steak and garlic mashed potatoes. The only thing that takes any time is boiling the water to blanch the beans.

This recipe is all about "dashes" because I never seem to actually measure anything, most of it is to taste...so you can personalize all you want, but all the ingredients go so well together, that I imagine you couldn't go wrong.

If you aren't a green bean fan, but love edamame, it makes a great snack! (I will post a pic of those one night when we have a late night craving).

Ingredients
2 handfuls of tipped green beans
pinch of salt
6 cups boiling water

2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1-2 Tbsp hot sambal sauce (hot chili Asian sauce)
2 Tbsp hoision sauce
3-4 dashes soy sauce
2 dashes terriyaki sauce
1-2 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Boil water in pot over high heat
2. Add pinch of salt and beans - remove after 3 minutes
3. At this point you should add the strained green beans to an ice bath to stop the cooking, however I never am that organized and just plop them in a strainer and run the cold water through them, turning them over with my hands for a few minutes until cool.
4. In a large frying pan, or a wok, heat sesame oil
5. Add garlic, alow to soften, do not brown it!
6. Add strained green beans - allow to "fry" for about 20 seconds, stirring once or twice.
7. Add sambal, hoision, terryaki and soy sauces. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, the sauces will thicken and coat the beans
8. Remove from heat and sprinkle [toasted] sesame seeds over top.

ENJOY!