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

Cardamom Ice Cream

I had been craving this for quite some time, so I decided to just go ahead and make it!
A simple blend of milk, cream, sugar & cardamom pods produced such a lovely flavor.



There are no step by step photos for this one since it was so easy...and I didn't take any during the process.

• In a medium saucepan heat 2 cups heavy cream, 2 cups whole milk and 15 whole cardamom pods (crushed with seeds exposed) to simmer stirring occasionally. Since my pods were a little older I also opened up about 8 additional ones, ground the seeds with my mortar & pestle and added that to the liquid which produced a perfect cardamom flavor. (I would test the flavor before adding in too much.)

• Simmer for about 5 minutes then remove from heat, stir in 1 1/2 C sugar until sugar dissolves completely.

• Let mixture steep for about 25 minutes then with a fine mesh strainer, strain out the cardamom pods add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and chill base overnight. It is very important to have a VERY cold base. The faster the mix freezes, the smaller the ice crystals will be, and the smoother the texture.

• Pour the mix into your ice cream maker and let run about 25 - 30 minutes until you have a thickened base. Transfer into containers and let freeze until ready to serve.


Enjoy!

xo diane

Gougéres

When I was in Paris this past Holiday season my sister whipped up these little choux pastries called gougéres and they were incredible! I just had to get her recipe & try them myself. They simply melt in your mouth with buttery goodness.



Here are the ingredients for this recipe:



Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside.

In a saucepan heat 1/2 C milk, 1/2 C water, one stick of unsalted butter (cut into tablespoons) and a large pinch of coarse salt until boiling.



Add 1 C of all purpose flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms; stir over low heat until it dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.



Move the dough into a mixing bowl; let cool for about one minute. Beat 4 eggs into the dough, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each one***. Add 1 C shredded Gruyére cheese and a pinch each of ground black pepper and ground nutmeg.

***It is important to add the eggs one at a time and wait for them to become incorporated into the dough separately. Don't worry if it looks a little curdled at first, the dough will eventually come together nicely.

Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip and pipe tablespoon-size mounds onto the parchment paper about 2" apart.



Top with a bit of extra shredded cheese.



Bake for 22 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffy. Enjoy!





This recipe makes quite a bit of these little beauties. They can also be filled too. Gougéres freeze well, so once they have cooled completely they can be stored in an air-tight container in your freezer for a few months. To reheat them, place them on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for a few minutes until hot.

cheers!
diane

Chocolate Chipotle Butter Bites

I was looking for a simple & chocolaty treat to take to my friend Cristi's house yesterday for The Big Game and I came up with these. Chocolate Chipotle Butter Bites.
Similar to a brownie, these are rich, chocolaty & have just a hint of savory spice, they are just gooey-er than a brownie.



Here are the ingredients for this dish:



Start by pre-heating your oven to 325ºF. Combine 10 TBSP of butter, 1 1/4 C sugar, 3/4 C + 2 TBSP cocoa, 1/4 tsp salt & 3/4 tsp chipotle powder in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water.





Stir frequently until the butter has melted & the mixture becomes the consistency of wet sand. You want to heat it until its hot to the touch.



Remove from heat and cool slightly until it just feels warm. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time stirring vigorously after each one.



Now the batter should look thick & shiny.



Add 1/2 C flour and mix gently until all of the flour is incorporated.



Place the batter into an 8" x 8" square pan that has been lined with parchment paper.



I cut the edges of the parchment down once the batter is in the pan so it doesn't burn.



Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a wooden pick is inserted into the center & comes out slightly moist. You want to make sure they are gooey. :)

Cool slightly then lift from pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into about 1 1/2" square pieces.




Dust lightly with powdered sugar & enjoy!




cheers!
xo diane

Mussels Mariniere

This is a simple dish to prepare with a huge pay off. With just a few ingredients and only a few minutes of your time, you can make mussels mariniere for yourself or friends.

Here are the ingredients for this dish:
Mussels, butter, shallot, garlic, dry white wine & parsley.


Start by cleaning your mussels making sure to remove the "beard" from them and only keeping the ones that are closed. Rinse them off in cool water and scrub the outside shells with a brush to remove any debris.

Heat a large pan (that has a tight fitting lid) to medium high heat and add equal parts of butter & olive oil to the pan.



Add your sliced shallots and chopped garlic and sweat them for a few minutes until slightly soft. You don't want to brown them.



Now add your white wine & mussels:



Then cover the pot tightly to steam them for about 4 - 6 minutes. You can shake the pan to disperse them evenly.



You'll know the mussels are ready when they all open up. Discard any that do not open! Now add some chopped parsley and toss in the pan a bit.



Serve them with crusty bread (which is essential to sopping up all that great sauce!) and enjoy!




cheers!
xo diane
thepantrychallenge@gmail.com