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. 

Curry in Hurry

When we lived elsewhere, we had ready access to all manner of Indian food. Not so much here in West Texas. But, I have a couple of pretty delicious curries under my belt, including this one. It makes enough for dinner, plus a couple of lunches for the week--so, perfect for Sunday night. If you can find paneer, you can use it instead of the tofu, but the tofu does keep it to the lighter side.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 serrando chile, minced with seeds for more heat
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree, preferably fire-roasted
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth; more to thin as needed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 12 ounce package of frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoons vegetable in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add tofu to skillet and cook until golden. Remove pan from heat and reserve.

Place onion pieces in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Alternatively, you can grate the onion using the largest side of a box grater. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large pot or cocotte, then add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until it has softened and is eginning to show a little color; about 10 Iminutes. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and serrano chile and cook, stirring for about 2-3 minutes. Add the ground coriander, cumin and ginger and stir for constantly for 1 minute. Clear the center of the pan, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir into the rest of the mixture. Add crushed tomatoes with puree, 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth and turmeric; season with salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer until mixture thickens slightly and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. 

Add peas and cooked paneer, gently folding to incorporate evenly. Cook mixture over medium-low heat until peas are tender and paneer is heated through, folding occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in garam masala and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice, quinoa or other grain--plus naan!

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?

Chickenless Noodle Soup

Winter is coming...and it's time for soup! I don't know why, but I keep thinking about Campbell's. Campbell's chicken noodle soup. I loved it when I was a young person, because it was one of those things I could "make" for myself. Sure, you opened up the can, dumped it into a pan and just heated it up. But, it felt so grown up. Sometimes, you would add milk instead of water to make a creamy soup. Other times, you loaded it so full of crackers that it soaked up all of the broth and you just ended up with this wet, starchy deliciousness. I want that soup.

As a vegetarian, I have eaten a lot of analog meatless products--both purchased and made--but I really like Beyond Meat Beyond Chicken. And they aren't paying me to say this with a year's supply of product or anything. It's simple and easy to use on pizza, in salad, with pasta and in tacos. So I was thinking, why not chicken noodle soup?

For my broth, I used a combination of chicken flavored vegetarian broth and a kombu dashi; added onion, carrots and celery; finally pasta rings, Beyond Meat and herbs. Simple, nourishing...and nostalgic. It was memory in a bowl.

Recipe: Chickenless Noodle Soup

• Three pieces kombu seaweed
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 stalks of celery, trimmed, halved a thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 32-ounce container No-chicken broth
• 3-4 twigs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 pound small pasta Os, noodles, broken spaghetti, ditalini or even orzo
• Salt to taste
• 1 9-oz package Beyond Chicken, thawed enough to slice and shred

To make the dashi:

Rinse the kombu and wipe gently with a cloth, but not too much--the powdery coating is what helps add flavor to the dashi. Place in a saucepan with four cups of cold water; let stand for 15 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and slowly warm the water to just below boiling, about 10 minuts. Do not boil! Turn off the heat, remove the kombu and strain the dashi into a measuring cup. 

To make the soup: 

In a heavy stockpot or Dutch, combine the onion, carrots and celery with the olive oil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the thyme, broth and dashi, then simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the thyme twigs, but keep the leaves. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the Beyond Chicken lengthwise, then shred the pieces with your hand or a fork. Add to the soup and simmer until warm. Serve in large bowls with big spoons and saltine crackers.

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. 

Return of the Squash

Earlier this week, I used half of a butternut squash to make a delicious pumpkin curry. But, I still had the second half to use up and was pondering what to do with it. Pasta? Risotto? Or just tossed with a little sauce as a side? I finally came up with something I thought would be perfect for the cooler weather...a stew of roasted pumpkin in a little broth with greens, beans and mini-gnocchi.

Recipe: Roasted Squash and Gnocchi Stew

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large butternut squash, seeded and roasted at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes then pealed and diced.

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional, if you like a little heat) 

1 teaspoon dried oregano  

3 cups vegetable broth

10 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 16-ounce can chickpeas, cannellini beans or other large, white bean, drained and rinsed

1 packages vacuum packed gnocchi, perferably miniature sized

Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional) 

Or

Two tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, for a vegan preparation) 

Directions 

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add the onion and cook for 10 to 15 minutes and it is soft and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes, stirring constantly, then add the red pepper if using and the oregano. Stir in the squash and continue to cook for about five minutes. If the pan becomes dry, you can add some of the broth a couple tablespoons at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rest of the broth, bringing to a simmer, cook until the squash is tender, then add the gnocchi. Cook until they are tender, then stir in the spinach and beans, continuing to cook until the greens are wilted and the beans are warm. Taste for seasoning, stir in nutritional yeast (if using) and serve warm, in large bowls with hunks of bread for dipping. Garnish with freshly ground Parmesan cheese if you like.