Bacon Apple Risotto

Lately I’ve been on a mission to perfect risotto. It’s been a bit of a learning experience. I’ve had many tries where no matter what I do, the rice doesn’t quite cook enough.

I had found a recipe for bacon and apple risotto. It sounded a bit different, but definitely worth a try. Along with the bacon and apples, the recipe called for garlic and thyme. As I began cooking all of these together, the recipe began to remind me of Thanksgiving. Smelling the ingredients while I cooked made me wish for fall.

I tried something a little different with the rice this time. The recipe suggested par boiling it for a few minutes in order to soften it up. The problem is that the starch from the rice is what gives the risotto some of its creaminess, so I didn’t want to drain out all the starchy water it had boiled in. The trick then became how to boil it with as little water as possible, so I could reserve some of the water and the starch.

Here’s the recipe, as taken from Drizzle and Dip:

• 250gms arborio / risotto rice
• 1 brown onion finely chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple peeled and chopped
• Approx. 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• about 2 cups chicken stock (hot).
• a small handful of thyme leaves
• 1 knob of butter
• salt and black pepper
• approx. ½ cup shredded Parmesan

While I par boiled the rice for 5-7 minutes, I heated a high-sided pan. I chopped up 4 slices of bacon and diced up some onions with a Pampered Chef chopper. The onions I used were some cute candy onions that I’d found at the local farmers’ market. They almost smelled sweet enough to take a bite out of, so I thought they’d go great with the apple.

While the onions and bacon cooked for a few minutes, I peeled a Granny Smith apple and chopped it up into small pieces with the same chopper I used for the bacon.

Once the bacon was starting to look slightly crisp and the onions were becoming translucent, I added the chopped apple to the pan. At this point, I also added the garlic.

I let that mixture cook for a couple minutes before adding the rice that I had par boiled. I didn’t drain much of my water so that I could reserve the starch. Once the rice is added, I stirred it together to make sure the bacon grease coated the rice. Next I added the wine and allowed it to cook down. At this point, I added some thyme and about ½ cup of the chicken stock. (This was the point I mentioned where it began to smell like Thanksgiving. This was also probably the point where my stomach started growling.) As the chicken stock cooked and became absorbed, I added another ½ cup. I continued this process until I’d used approximately 2 cups of chicken stock.

Once the liquid had been absorbed and I tested the rice to make sure it was done, I removed it from the heat and stirred in a pat of butter and about a ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese. I also added a little salt and pepper to taste.

I realize my measurements aren’t too precise, but sometimes I go more by taste with risotto. This recipe really makes enough for at least four servings. The apple, bacon and thyme go so well with the creaminess of the rice. My husband was especially happy with this recipe because he thought it had more flavor than some of the other risottos he has tried. I was impressed enough with the recipe that I had to write my mother and let her know that I’d found another side dish for our Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Scallops with Cherry

Sometimes I run into the grocery store for certain ingredients and something else grabs my attention. This is exactly what happened one day when I went to get some hamburger, but instead found myself in front of the counter looking at some giant scallops. Where I live, it’s not very often that I find fresh scallops much bigger than a marshmallow. When I do, I can’t resist the temptation. I asked for three of them, which came up to about ½ a pound.

I have far too many scallop recipes stowed away. This time I felt like getting away from the traditional garlic and herb method. I remembered seeing some recipes using cherries, and it just so happened that I had some sweet red cherries in my fridge. Cherries with scallops seemed a little adventurous, but sometimes that’s the best part of cooking. I knew I would need something to bridge the two. I used shallots for their slightly sweeter flavor.

I first rinsed the scallops and patted them dry with a paper towel. I then sprinkled them with salt & pepper. To sear the scallops, I poured some olive oil into a skillet and let the oil heat up. Once the oil was very hot, I placed the scallops in the pan.

I’ve always heard that you only want to flip scallops once. I let one side cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping them over to the other side for the same amount of time. This may take less time depending on the size of the scallops. I like my scallops to have a nice, caramelized top.

While the scallops were cooking, I pitted and chopped up about ¾ cup of fresh cherries. The hardest part about this step is getting all the cherries to a bowl instead of snacking on them as I go. I also diced one shallot.

When the scallops were done, I placed them on a plate & tented them with foil. I added the shallots to the leftover drippings and cooked for a couple minutes. Next I added the chopped cherries, a splash of white wine and a splash of chicken broth. I let that cook on medium low heat until the cherries started to soften and form a bit of a mash. Once the sauce was cooked, I plated my scallops and poured the cherry mixture over the top.

There are some food combinations that I joke should be married in the food world. I’m beginning to think that scallops and cherries may be one of them. This is one slightly risky recipe that really paid off. Now I just need to decide what scallop recipe to try next. Now that I know fruit worked out well, I could try scallops with watermelon soup. I could also get even more adventurous and try vanilla bean. The possibilities seem endless, but that’s yet another one of my favorite things about cooking.

Watermelon, Mozzarella & Cucumber Salad

Sometimes it is just too hot outside to want to cook. On those days, all you want is that perfect, cool summer lunch. Lately I have been seeing a lot of veggie and mozzarella salads. I had even noticed some using different types of fruit. One blog post that caught my eye had even mixed squares of watermelon and feta cheese in a balsamic dressing.

My salad was composed of watermelon, mozzarella and cucumber squares with fresh apple- scented mint and basil. I drizzled it with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and finished it off by sprinkling a little sea salt over the top.

This salad is fantastic for summer because it involves all cold ingredients and minimal effort. Not only do the flavors blend together so well, but the ingredients give it a bright color. I also love the idea of everything being cut into blocks. It gives it an unusual but clean, sharp look.

Don’t worry if you end up buying more mozzarella than you need. You can always use the leftover later to try and replicate Pioneer Woman’s caprese salad.

Root Beer Float Cookies

As soon as I read about the idea of using root beer concentrate in baking, I knew I’d have to try it. The first time I had seen this was a recipe for root beer float cupcakes. I filed that recipe away as one I’d have to try sometime. When I ran across a recipe for root beer float cookies, I knew they had to be tried immediately. Surprisingly, root beer concentrate is not hard to find. I even picked up mine at Wal-Mart in the baking supplies/spices aisle. I also had a good excuse for baking (as if an excuse is ever necessary), as my husband’s family reunion was that weekend and I’d volunteered to make some cookies.

Root Beer Float Cookies
From: Heat Oven to 350

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 T plus 2 tsp root beer concentrate
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Place butter and sugars in large bowl. Using electric mixer at medium speed, cream. Beat in egg. Continue to beat until mixture is fluffy. Beat in oil, milk, vanilla and root beer concentrate. (The root beer concentrate has a thick, oily texture. Be careful when measuring it as it will pour out of the bottle very quickly.)

In a large bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in vanilla chips.

Drop 2 T of dough at a time onto ungreased cookies sheets. (I used a Pampered Chef medium scoop, which is fantastic for the perfect size cookies.) Bake 10-12 minutes.

Root beer float in cookie form does sound a little different, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. These cookies exceeded expectation. The really do taste just like root beer and have a soft, moist texture. They may actually be some of my favorite cookies I’ve ever made. The only thing I would do differently is to try them with vanilla chips sometime instead of white chocolate.

I had a busy weekend of cooking for the reunion and made lots of food that I’m behind on posting. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the advice that if you have curious kitchen helpers like I do, it’s probably not a good idea to leave your cabinets open between grabbing ingredients.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

My goal is to attempt to include some heathier recipes on this blog. I'm hoping that this will be made a lot easier by the herb garden I recently planted.

I was recently trying to come up with some freezable meals for my husband's grandma. She was recovering from heart surgery and on a strict low sodium, low fat, low sugar diet. I was worried at first about what I would be able to come up with, but actually found quite a few combinations with lean meats and fresh herbs. I decided to continue the pattern by grilling some chicken for my husband and I.

One of my favorite healthy meals is lemon rosemary chicken. Not only is it easy to make, but it has a ton of flavor. I tend to get tired of chicken because it starts to seem very bland to me, but this recipe is one exception.

To make the marinade, I combine a tsp of extra virgin olive oil (just enough to get everything to stick), juice squeezed from 1/2 a lemon, a clove of minced garlic and a couple sprigs of rosemary in a ziploc bag. Add the chicken and let marinate for about 30 minutes before grilling.

I decided to try a new side with this. Lately I'd been seeing a lot of recipes for mayo-less potato salad, including this recipe on Gourmantine's blog for a potato and vegetable salad coated with a dijon vinaigrette. (Ok, so my side dish might not be quite as healthy as the chicken.) I decided to use steamed green beans in my version since my husband would prefer those over the asparagus the recipe called for. I had to alter the recipe yet again when I got home only to find out I didn't have the roasted red bell pepper strips I thought I did. Luckily the vinaigrette combined so well with the potatoes and green beans that it was hard to tell anything was missing. The only addition I made to the vinaigrette was a tsp of honey.

For the vinaigrette, I used a salad dressing mixer I'd been given as a gift last Christmas. It's really a handy little gadget to have around. I'd recommend it to anybody who makes their own dressings or vinagrette.

I know one of my helpers was pretty excited about the chicken. Sadly for her, she only got to smell and not taste.

Spring Mushroom & Bacon Soup

I should start by saying that describing this soup as good doesn’t begin to cover it. Is it really good? Not quite. How about one of the best soups I’ve ever eaten and worthy of having crispy golden bread made just for the joy of dipping in it? Yep, that’s getting closer.

I saw this recipe a week or so ago while my mom was visiting. We had a small amount of Italian leftovers from the night before, but not quite enough to round out a meal. When I texted my mom to tell her I’d fix some soup to go with our leftovers, she replied with the expected response of “I’ll grab some bread from Panera.” I’m a firm believer that when someone tells you they are making good soup, it is probably proper etiquette to respond that you’ll bring Panera bread.

After reading the ingredient list for this soup, I couldn’t resist making it that very night. The recipe I used called it “Spring Mushroom Soup with Aromatic Vegetables,” but I don’t know if that name quite covers it. However, I’m not sure I can really think of anything more descriptive.

Spring Mushroom Soup with Aromatic Vegetables
Recipe from Dishing the Devine

6 slices bacon
2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 lb quartered cremini mushrooms
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 stalks fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large cast iron or other deep skillet, cook bacon until browned on both sides. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool. Remove excess bacon grease and reserve for another purpose.

Add butter or vegetable oil to the skillet and cook until hot. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring continuously, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms release their liquid and have begun to brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Cut the bacon into small pieces and add to the mixture.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and stir until it makes a paste, about 1 minute. Add the stock, thyme and pepper and stir to combine.

Bring the soup to a full boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate skillet, cook the asparagus in some of the reserved bacon grease or vegetable oil until browned and slightly softened. Add the asparagus to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add the cream. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

After smelling this soup simmer and taking our first bite, we completely forgot about the leftovers.

Cheddar & Onion Smashed Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Corn on the Cob

I recently found a blog called The Bitten Word. The owners started it for the purpose of actually using their food magazine subscriptions by setting goals of making a certain amount of recipes out of food magazines each month. I particularly like this idea because I am horrible about bookmarking pages in my food magazines and forgetting about them. While food gawker and food blogs are so easy and accessible for finding recipes, I’ve decided I also need to find some time for my magazine subscriptions.

One of the recipes included in the June 2011 issue of Food & Wine was Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers. The recipe was really simple, but looked great for an easy summer weekend meal. The burgers were actually supposed to be cooked on a griddle, but we used the grill since we wanted to take advantage of the weather before it got too hot.

To assemble the burgers, I sliced onions into paper thin strips and patted them onto the tops and bottoms of some hamburger patties. When the burgers were close to finished on the grill, I put some thick slices of cheddar cheese on top. We also grilled the buns for a couple minutes to get them nice and crisp.

For a side dish, we placed some ears of corn on the grill. I took a spoonful of margarine and mixed it with lime and cilantro, then brushed the corn with this mixture as soon as it came off the grill.

I made another side a few days later that would have gone great with this also. I had some butternut squash that needed to be used, so I cut it into small squares. Some extra virgin olive oil was drizzled on the squash and then sprinkled with a little salt and pepper before roasting it at 400. I allowed it to cook for about 30 minutes before brushing a mixture of honey, lime and cilantro on it and letting it roast for another 10 minutes. My kitchen smelled amazing. The idea for this side came from this recipe.