Risotto a la Minute

Risotto is one of those comforting foods that just about everyone loves: buttery, creamy, cheesy rice studded with delicious vegetables and topped...with more cheese! It isn't difficult to make or challenging to master, but it is one of those things that requires attention and monitoring, making it (for me anyways) something I usually never served to guests because I couldn't also make the starter, finish the salad, fill the water glasses; that is, address all of the other parts of the meal. Then I stumbled upon the idea of baking risotto and I wondered if it could possibly be as good. Well, after trying it in enough iterations to cause my partner to grouse, "risotto, again?" in the tone of an petulant child being served spinach from a can, I can say this master recipe is simple, delicious and as good as the one you make stirring at the stover for thirty minutes.

The premise is simple, you start this risotto as you would any other, by sautéing onion until it is translucent, stirring in the rice then whie wine and cooking it until it's evaporated, but instead of stirring in a little bit of broth at a time and stirring and stirring, you add it all at once, pop it in the oven and then go on about the business of your dinner. About 25 minutes later, you remove it from the oven, stir in the Parmesan cheese, stir in the butter, stir in whatever else you are adding and you have delicious, creamy risotto. I have made it with lemon and peas, asparagus and mushroom, plain cheese, butternut squash...you can flavor it however you like. Or better yet, create a risotto bar with a variety of additions and just let your guests stir in whatever they like! The recipe below serves eight people or four people with leftovers. And you want leftovers to make risotto cake, squash stuffed with risotto or arancini, so if it's a big party you'll want to double it.

Recipe: Oven-Baked Risotto

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, (optional)
• 5 to 5 1/2 cups homemade or low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 cup or more of stock (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter and cheese. Serve immediately.

Ideas: 

• Peas, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Sauteed mushrooms and roasted asparagus.
• Butternut squash: shred half and add to rice while it cooks; dice the rest and roast to toss in at the end. 
• Milanese with saffron and peas. 
• Fresh spinach! 
• Whatever else you love...what isn't delicious with rice?

Quick-fix Mujaddara

Lentils and rice (Mujaddara) is one of my favorite things, a classic Lebanese combination that I have written about at least once and think about...a lot! A homey dish, it was the Friday special at Byblos in Wichita, KS and I actually got to enjoy it there on my last visit. I have fiddled with my own version over the years, but I was thinking the other night about a quick version? One thrown together with those lovely packets of microwaveable rice and canned lentils? Maybe not as good as the real thing, but in a pinch...it'll do.

 Recipe: Quick & Easy Mujaddara 

• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 2 16-oz cans lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 8.5-oz packages microwaveable rice, I like to use Seeds of Change Brown Basmatic Rice, prepared according to instructions
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package fried onions

 In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium and then add the onions. Sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is soft and transulcent. Add the lentils and rice and stir to combine. Add about half of the vegetable broth and continue to stir, smashing the lentils against the pan as you do so. And the rest of the broth a little at a time and continue to stir until it is absorbed and the mixture starts to look a little dry. Taste and season with salt and pepper then let cool slightly. Serve warm, topping with a drizzle of olive oil and the fried onions. 

Sopes

I was so excited to find pre-made sopes at the store this week--I have recipes for them, but have never got around to making them. There was a vegan restaurant in Omaha, NE we used to frequent that always had a couple of seasonal sopes on the menu. Delicious! What is a sope? Think of them as thick little cornmeal pastries with walls that are made for fillng...with whatever you want!

We had an array of choices so everyone could fill their own: beans, corn, mushrooms, seitan, avocado, queso fresca, cilantro, radish, pico and more.

e heated the sopes in the oven for a few minutes, then added the fillings that we wanted warmed up like homemade refried beans, fried zucchini, mushroom, onion and cheese.

After, we topped with the cool, fresh ingredients that added more flavor, crunch and color.

I served the sopes with a big green salad tossed with with hearts of palm, orange segments and pepitas plus a zesty lime dressing. Simple and delicious, sopes are endlessly adaptable plus a great idea for a party. Everyone gets what they want! Sopes!

Gnocchi

When you say gnocchi, most people think of the potato-based dumpling that is so delicious when expertly prepared. I once took a class on how to make the little devils and the instructor's rules for preparations were numerous and unwavering. I have to admit, I enjoy the vacuum-sealed variety as well and it's uses are innumerable. But, gnocchi can also refer to one of my other favorite delicacies, gnocchi alla Romana, or these lovely little ricotta gnocchi. I have several similar recipes, but the one I prepared came from The Splendid Table and is a cinch to complete. They can even be done a couple of days in advance, held in the fridge then simmered and placed on top of a sauce--the recipe says lightly tossing them, but they are very delicate. Of course, a fresh tomato sauce is always delicious, but think about these other options: a creamy tomato sauce; a light mushroom broth with fresh spinach or peas; a sauce of olives, capers and basil; a lovely pea pesto; a pan sauce of lemons, spinach and peas; and so on and so on and so on. Paired with a crunch salad and some bread, who wouldn't be happy to be served a lovely bowl of these cheesy Italian pillows?

Quisotto Milanese

I've seen several recipes lately that us quinoa in place of arborio rice to make a "quisotto." This version is based on the classic risotto Milanese and features saffron, lemon and peas. It's a vegan preparation, but you could stir in some Parmesan cheese at the end if prefer. Mitchell said, "it doesn't look like risotto." But, it was still very yummy and a different way to prepare quinoa.

Ingredients

• Two lemons, zeste and juiced. 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
• 2 chopped shallots
• 1 cup chopped shiitake caps
• 1 ½ cups white quinoa (although a black version could be quite dramatic!)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine or water
• 4 cups vegetarian chick stock (or vegetable stock), warmed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon Smart Balance spread
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads  

Directions 

1. Add the lemon juice to the warmed stock. Place the butter or oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and shiitakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softening and shiitakes begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add about one teaspoon of salt, stir to combine. 

2. Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s glossy and coated with the oil. Add the wine, scraping up any yummy burnt bits of mushroom or shallot, and cook until it is evaporated, stirring often. 

3. Add one cup of the stock, stirring until it is combined. Then, as the stock evaporates, continue to add it 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and maintaining a simmer. Stir frequently and don't let the quinoa dry out completely, adding more stock when the previous addition is gone. 

4. After about 20 minutes, taste the quinoa; it should be tender and the little bran should be released. Stir in the peas, saffron, lemon zest, nutritional yeast and Smart Balance, cooking for two to three more minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let the quisotto stand for five minutes; stir again, season with salt and pepper--then serve!

Makes: four servings. 

Got Zucchini?

There are a million ways to prepare all of that zucchini that is flooding out of your garden at the end of summer, before the first frost. The only problem is that there are two million zucchinis! What to do? I created a topping for bruschetta with fried zucchini, garlic and fresh tomatoes that a delicious way to start a casual dinner party we had on Sunday evening.

Recipe: Bruschetta with Garlicky Zucchini

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 small zucchini, quartered and sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 tablespoons minced garlic

5 plum tomatoes, cored and diced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Salt, to taste

1 loaf French bread, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Directions 

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often until it begins to brown and char. Add the salt, oregano and crushed red pepper if using, stirring for a minute or two. Stir in three tablespoons of the garlic, continue to cook for three to four minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook for another two or three minutes. Transfer the zucchini mixture to a large bowl, add the last tablespoon of garlic, one tablespoon of olive oil, garlic powder and onion powder, then use a fork or potato masher to lightly mash and mix. Stir in the diced tomatoes. At this point, you can store covered in the fridge for several hours or overnight, bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the bread with olive oil and toast in the oven until crisp. Top each piece with some of the zucchini mixture and serve.

Additions: you could add grated Parmesan cheese, toasted pinenuts or lemon zest to the mixture if you like.