Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

I don't know if it's the weather or what but I've been cooking like crazy lately. Needless to say my freezer is full! Looks like I will be enjoying these dishes for months to come. Tonight I was inspired by asparagus and wanted to make something warm & satisfying so risotto it is.

Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:



Start by sautéeing a medium onion in olive oil & butter on medium heat.



Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and about 1 C of chopped asparagus. Cook until asparagus is tender but not cooked all the way through.



Now you can add about 1 C of chopped mushrooms. I used plain button mushrooms here, but normally would use cremini mushrooms which have more flavor. Cremini's are actually smaller portabello mushrooms.



Cook until the mushrooms have lost most of their moisture and are tender. Remove mixture from heat and set aside.



In a saucepan heat about 5 cups of stock on low heat. You may use whatever type of stock you'd like here I used chicken stock for it's flavor.

In a separate pot add about 2 TBSP of olive oil & 1 TBSP butter. I actually have the Mario Batali risotto pot so I use that one. It's cast iron with an enamel coating so it's great for even heat & browning. Ridiculous I know, but it was a gift.



Next add 1 1/2 C of arborio rice. Stir well to make sure each grain is well coated with the oil. Continue cooking the rice until its slightly toasted, about 4 minutes.



Then add 1/2 C dry white wine (at room temperature) and start stirring. Once that liquid is absorbed you may now add a ladle full of your warm stock.



You are now going to alternate adding stock to the pot & stirring slowly until all the liquid is absorbed. This is a laborious process, but necessary to create the creamy texture that you want. About 30 - 45 minutes. So be patient!



Once the risotto is ready you now add back in your mushroom & asparagus mixture. To this dish I did add the zest and juice of one small lemon. It helped bring out the freshness of the vegetables & eased the richness of the dish. Finish it off with a nob of butter & one final ladle full of stock. Serve & top with fresh parsley.

I also topped mine with an aged mimolette cheese that I had. It was nutty, salty & just perfect for this dish. Traditionally you would use parmigiano reggiano. Enjoy!



Please let me know if you make this dish, and if so how it turns out!

xo diane

Chicken Tortilla Soup

When I woke up this morning I was delighted to see a light dusting of snow on the ground. Not unusual for this time of year, but quite unusual for Austin, TX! So I knew it would be the perfect day to make my chicken tortilla soup. I developed this recipe to be made in the crock pot, but you can let it simmer slowly in a large pot on the stove if you wish. It's simple, hearty & full of flavor!


Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:



Start by seasoning 4 chicken thighs with salt & pepper and brown them in a large skillet over medium high heat.



Once browned, take the chicken out of the skillet & remove the skin from 3 of the pieces. Place into crock pot.
Add one medium onion (diced), 2 carrots (diced) and 2 cloves of garlic (minced) to the oil and sautée until tender.



Add that mixture to the crock pot along with a 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, a 15 oz. can of enchilada sauce, one diced jalapeño, 6 corn tortillas (cut into small pieces), a bay leaf, 1 TBSP chipotle powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 4 cups of water and some salt & pepper. You may want to add more or less jalapeño or chipotle depending on how spicy you like your soup.



Stir, cover and set on high to cook for about 4 hours. Once the chicken is cooked remove from pot and pull chicken from the bone. Return meat to the soup and add one package of frozen corn and a can of black beans (rinsed & drained) to the pot. Cover and heat through.



I like to make my own tortilla strips to serve along with the soup. Simply cut corn tortillas into strips:



Then fry in hot oil (350ºF) until golden brown. Be sure to hit them with some salt while they're still hot too.



I garnish my soup with avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro, crispy tortilla strips & a lime wedge. Mmmmmm....



Please let me know if you make this recipe and how it turns out for you.

cheers!
xo diane

Oeufs en Cocotte (Eggs in a Casserole)

I just remembered my sister telling me about these awhile back, so figured that since I had all of the ingredients I would give it a try. Otherwise known as oeufs en cocotte, this delicious treat doesn't take any time to prepare and the results are amazing. You can use anything you have on hand and since they are single servings everyone in the family can enjoy their own.

Here are the ingredients I used for this recipe:


You want to preheat your oven to 375º F. Butter your ramekin dishes then add about a tablespoon of cream or milk.


Next, add whatever type of filling you'd like; sautéed mushrooms, peppers, onions, bacon, sausage etc.
Here I used peppered ham and spring onions:


Then crack an egg into each ramekin. I topped mine with boursin cheese but you can use any type of cheese you like. I recommend to shred it for best results.


You just top it off with a touch more cream & pepper. Since the ham & cheese I used here are both salty I didn't add any extra salt, but you might want to do that now.


Now you are going to place your ramekins in a bain marie or water bath. Fill the water half way up the side of the ramekins.


Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the egg whites are set & the yolk is still nice and runny. If you like a harder egg feel free to bake it for a longer time. Once they come out of the oven carefully lift them from the water bath & serve.

I enjoyed mine with crunchy toast & a mixed green salad. Enjoy!!!



Please feel free to share your experiences or comments here. Let me know what you think!

xo diane

Quickie Recipe: Basmati Rice Pudding

So last night I made a delicious dinner of rockfish with a brown butter/orange sauce, braised fennel, basmati rice scented with cardamom & orange and steamed shelled edamame. As I've stated in the previous post, it's hard to cook & take photos by myself. This was a new recipe too, so I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to turn out...well, I was pleased.

Well, my quickie recipe here stems from the left over basmati rice that I had made. It's a quick one so no need for extra photos here...



Start by placing whatever amount of rice you have into a saucepan (I had roughly 2 cups) and I just poured milk onto it until it was almost covered. (About 2 cups) I had some heavy whipping cream around so I splashed a tad of that in there too for richness. Added about 1/4 C of sugar, 1/4 tsp of freshly ground cardamom and a handful of raisins. (optional of course!)

Just simply heat the contents slowly while stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn on the bottom. You want to be sure the mixture gets creamy and the rice is nice and soft. This is different than regular basmati rice which I like to be a bit more on the firm side.

I garnished mine with clementine zest to bring out the already beautiful orange essence that I cooked into the rice in the first place. The citrus also cuts the richness & compliments the sweetness.



Hope you get a chance to try this one for yourself! Share with me your comments & how you like your rice pudding...

xo diane

New Year...new ideas.

I have been just kicking myself for not updating this blog more often. I absolutely love cooking, but to take all the photos whilst doing it can become cumbersome. Alas, I have decided to put aside any negative feelings about it and just do it. :)

So please comment on the recipes you see & if you are making them please let me know how they turn out!

Coming soon, my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup!

cheers!
xo diane