Risotto Parmigiano

I am trying to clean out my pantry a bit this week, and I have some leftover Arborio rice from making Rice Pudding. So, I decided to make a simple Risotto to go with Roasted Chicken tonight. If using white wine, reduce water/broth by 1/2 cup. Risotto is easy to make but does require patience and time to stir. I make mine with chicken broth, I save the wine and cream version for company. This is not the dish to make when you have children fighting for your attention, but if your kids are older and can handle stirring, they can help!

Risotto Parmigiano

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb arborio rice
4 cups water or broth (Chicken or Vegetable)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 Tbsp diced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Optional: 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup white wine

DIRECTIONS
In large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add onion and saute until softened, add garlic and continue to saute until onion is lightly brown (don't burn the garlic).
Turn down heat to med-low, add Arborio Rice and stir for 2 minutes coating thoroughly with butter, onion, garlic mixture.
If using 1/2 cup white wine, add at this time, stirring until liquid is absorbed.
Add water or broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until liquid is absorbed. (If using vegetable broth, I'd go half broth and half water, vegetable broth can be quite strong)
Start sampling grains of rice after you've added 3 cups of broth/water, you want the rice to be just done to the point of soft (no more hardness in the center). Add any remaining broth by the 1/4 cup, so you don't overdo it.
Add salt and pepper to taste when you start sampling for doneness. I usually omit salt and add about 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper.
Once it is done, stir in parmesan and cream if desired.
The cream will obviously make it even creamier and delicious, but adds a significant amount of fat.

Spicy African Peanut Soup

I made this on Wednesday, and it was delicious. It's going into my favorite winter soup recipes stash. Not my recipe, so I won't post it, instead I'll direct you to Prairie Bounty Catering for the recipe. Instead I'll just post some pictures of this yummy soup. I had this with a slice of Oatmeal Bread to dip in, and it was absolutely heavenly. Spicy, but not overly so. Paul's comment was "It tastes like peanut butter toast dipped into tomato soup, you wouldn't think that would taste good, but it really does."





Cross-posted to Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers

Spicy Pumpkin Pie

The last Thanksgiving recipe, doesn't everyone serve Pumpkin Pie?

Yes, it got a rather large crack in the top. Yes, it still tasted marvelous!

Spicy Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 pie crust

Pumpkin Filling:

2 cups (16 oz.) plain pumpkin purée, canned or fresh
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs

DIRECTIONS
Form pie crust to 9" pie pan and cover with foil, and fill with pie weights, bake at 400 for 15 minutes.
Remove foil, bake for additional 8-10 minutes, until crust just barely starts to brown.
While the crust is baking:
Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor fitted with steel blade for 1 minute.
Pour pumpkin mixture into a heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, until mixture gets shiny and thickens.
When the pie crust comes out of oven, whisk heavy cream and milk into pumpkin and bring to a simmer.
Beat eggs in food processor until whites and yolks are mixed.
With motor running, slowly pour in about half of hot pumpkin mixture through the feed tube.
Then stop the food processor and scrape in remaining pumpkin mixture.
Process for 30 seconds.

Pour as much mixture as you can into the pie crust.
Put it into the oven for 5 minutes.
Add any remaining mixture to the pie after the 5 minutes.
Bake about 20-25 more minutes (filling will look dry and puffed and slightly cracked near the edges, it should wiggle a bit like gelatin when you shake it)
Cool for 1 hour on wire rack

Serve with whip cream or ice cream.

Raspberry Apple Pie

I love the contrast of the tart and sweet in this pie.

Raspberry Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
20 Tbs. (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 Tbsp pats
6 to 7 Tbs. ice water

Filling:
6 large apples, peeled and sliced (McIntosh, Granny Smith, or other tart pie type apple)
1 1/2 cup raspberries, rinsed
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp butter

Optional:
1 Tbsp sugar

DIRECTIONS

Mix together flour, sugar and salt (Pulse twice if using FP)
Add butter, toss in the flour to separate, cut in butter into flours mixture until butter is in pea-sized pieces (Pulse 5-8 times if using FP)
Drizzle in ice cold water 1 Tbsp at a time, until just moistened and sticking together, usually 6-7 Tbsps (Pulse after each Tbsp)
Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap, and pour on dough bits
Form dough into ball in center using the plastic wrap to pull it together.
Separate into 2 balls.
Pat down to about 1 - 1 1/2" thick rounds
Let rest 20 minutes in the refrigerator
Lightly dust surface with flour and roll out each round dough circle to 1/4" - 1/8" thickness (adding as little flour as possible, but enough to keep it from sticking)
Roll first round lightly over rolling pin, then roll off over 9" pie pan
Carefully push down and into place against pan

Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a bowl
Toss in raspberries
Mix in brown sugar and spices
Pour into pie crust in pan
Cut butter up into small pieces and dot around the top of the apples

Roll second round lightly over rolling pin, then roll off over filling
Drape crust over filling

Trim crust leaving 1/2" past edge of the pie tin.
Using your fingers, go around the edge pinching the top and bottom crust together, and fold under and gently push together to seal. If this doesn't make sense, here's a terrible picture to illustrate! Green is the top and Red is the bottom crust.



Then you can pinch around the edge between thumb and forefinger for a pretty pattern, or use fork tines to smoosh around edge. You can kind of see what I mean for pinching in the finished photo.

Next, you need some sort of vent in the top, you can either use a knife and cut an X in the top middle, or you can use a cookie cutter to cut out a pretty shape.

Optional, brush the top crust with a little bit of water and sprinkle with sugar.

Cover pie crust edges with foil.

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
Remove foil
Continue baking for 10-15 minutes until crust is lightly brown.
I recommend putting a jelly roll pan underneath to catch any mess if the fruit should happen to bubble out.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I took a whole mess of pictures, but by the time I got everything on my computer and realized they were all too steamy and blurry to use, the soup was gone. So I hope you enjoy the picture of the stock!



Disclaimer: the stock started out too bland, so I started dumping in Southwest seasoning. Unfortunately I didn't measure, so it's to taste. You do sample while cooking, don't you?

All measurements are approximate, it's soup, add what you like and as much as you like. I use the meat left after serving a whole chicken, but you can use whatever you like. This makes a very large pot of soup. I always make a lot so I can take it for lunch and have it for leftovers on weekdays I don't feel like cooking, reduce ingredients as necessary for your pot size.

Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks (with leafy tops), chopped
1 pkg mushrooms, chopped (approx 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 cups of cooked chicken (shredded, diced or cubed; white or dark meat)
8-12 cups of chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
2 cups uncooked egg noodles

DIRECTIONS:
In the bottom of a large stock pot, add butter and olive oil over low heat until butter melts.
Add onion and celery and saute until onion just starts to get translucent (about 2-3 minutes, depending on your stove).
Add mushrooms and garlic, saute until onion is soft (approx 2 more minutes).
Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil over medium heat.
Turn the heat down until the pot is barely simmering, simmer for 30 minutes.

Makes approx 14 cups of soup, serves 10-12.

Chicken Stock

INGREDIENTS:
1 cooked chicken, picked clean (with a little of the dark meat and skin, if possible)
2 large onions
4 large carrots, peeled
8 stalks celery, washed well with leafy tops intact
1 pkg mushrooms
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh thyme, roughly chopped
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp southwest seasoning, if you like some kick to your stock

DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken in large stock pot (should be able to fully submerse the chicken carcass)
Cut onions in 8 chunks, and add to pot
Cut carrots in 2" long pieces, and add to pot
Cut celery in 2" long pieces, and add to pot
Add remaining ingredients
Fill pot with cold water to completely cover chicken and all ingredients.
Heat on medium-low until just starts to simmer, turn down to low so that it barely simmers. Simmer for 6 hours.
Every 15 minutes check the pot and skim the foam and fat off the surface, you should have less and less after the first hour you should be able to check every 30 minutes.
If the water gets down below the carcass, add more cold water.
When the soup is done, strain the liquid into a large container.
Set it in a sink with cold water and ice in it. You want to cool the stock quickly so it can go right into the refrigerator or freezer.

For refrigeration:
Put the stock direcly in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 days. The fat will harden on top of the stock, you will be able to skim it off after a few hours.

For freezer:
Follow steps for refrigeration, then transfer into the freezer after the fat has been skimmed off. I will keep in the freezer to keep for up to 3 months. When freezing, I portion it into separate bags in 1 cup servings, so I can just grab the amount I need for a recipe.

The stock should be made at least 1 day before you plan on using it, to allow time for the refrigeration and to give the flavors time to meld. Make sure you bring it to a boil for 2-3 minutes before use in any recipe.

Oatmeal Bread

Note: This is a bread-machine recipe.

This is my favorite bread machine recipe, my husband actually makes this. We've used it for rolls as well and they turn out quite well. I love the slight chewiness to this bread.

Submitted to Need To Knead.

Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 cup bread flour or other high protein flour
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp oatmeal
2 Tbsp dry buttermilk
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast

Directions

Add wet ingredients to the bread pan
Add dry ingredients and form a well in the top of the dry ingredients
Pour yeast into well of dry ingredients

Use the Sweet Cycle with a Light Crust option, I don't recommend the Rapid Cycle for this bread.

Berry Buckle

When I was cleaning up the kitchen and the front of the refrigerator this weekend I was inspired to make a Raspberry/Blackberry Buckle as a treat for Paul. I had some berries in the refrigerator that needed to get used up. While cleaning the front of my refrigerator I glanced at Amy Carol's Cheat Sheet of Basic Recipes with a Raspberry Buckle recipe on it. I was going to use the berries for breakfast tomorrow, but decided to go with the buckle instead.

This was very good, mine looks a bit of a mess, I added about 1/2 cup white chocolate chips and mixed Raspberries and Blackberries since I didn't have enough Raspberries. I served it with a few carmelized bananas (that needed to be eaten) and vanilla ice cream. I won't post the recipe since I basically took it right from Amy's Cheat Sheet, but feel free to download it here. Say hi and peruse her blog while you are at it.





This was SOOOOO easy to make and very yummy!

The leftover bananas made a yummy topping for pancakes the next morning.

Caramelized Bananas

2 bananas, cut into slices 1/8"-1/4" thick
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

Melt butter on low in small pan, sprinkle brown sugar into pan and stir until just mixed with butter, add bananas, stir to coat. Cook on low 2-3 minutes until lightly browned, not until soft and mushy!

{Edited: I accidentally posted instead of saved this, I'll add pictures tonight in case you are the kind of person that won't make a recipe without a picture.}

Lemon Cups

I took a break from cleaning last night to make these lovely lemon cups... I was craving something lemony, but I wanted something light, as opposed to rich and dense like lemon bars.

These bake up to a very light spongy cake layer on top and a layer of lemon curd on the bottom. They are also delicious made with lime juice instead of lemon juice. A wonderful light summer dessert when served chilled, but who has the patience to let them chill? They are also great served warm with a bit of vanilla ice cream.

You will want 3 bowls, measuring cups, a whisk (or fork), a rubber spatula, and a mixer handy (unless you have great upper arm muscles and routinely whisk egg whites to stiff peaks by hand).

I've tried to take a couple of pictures to share the light custardy goodness, but really no picture can do them justice.



Can you see the layers in the picture below? It's not too obvious, but they're there, I promise.



I had mine warm with a bit of whip cream, mmmmm... because like I said, who has the patience for them to chill.

Lemon Cups

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup lemon juice, I prefer fresh squeezed, but bottled works in a pinch
zest of 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 8 6 oz ramekins, or 6 8 oz ramekins.
Separate eggs, placing yolks in one bowl (A) and whites in your mixing bowl(B).
Add milk to the egg yolks and whisk together with a fork or whisk.
Whip egg whites to stiff peaks, transfer to another bowl(C) temporarily.
Add the sugar and flour to the mixing bowl(B) and mix together.
Pour the melted butter into the flour and sugar mixture and mix together.
Add the lemon juice and zest to the butter, flour and sugar mixture and turn mixer on low, once combined slowly pour in the egg yolk and milk mixture.
Fold the egg whites into the mixture in the mixing bowl(B).
Place the ramekins in a cake pan, and pour the mixture evenly into the ramekins.
Finally, place the cake pan in the oven and slowly fill the pan around the ramekins with water up to 1" to create a water bath.
Cook at 350 for 35-40 minutes, until light brown on top and the top of the cake springs back when touched.

Serve warm or chilled, topped with whip cream or vanilla ice cream.