Minestrone Risotto

i never like to eat the exact same thing two nights in a row.  there are too many tasty things in this world to eat from the same dish night after night.  so if i have leftovers i make them into a new dish.  last week we had leftover minestrone: a perfect starting point for risotto.

Minestrone Risotto
1 tsp oil
2 tbs onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c arborio rice
3 tbs white wine
1 c soup broth
1/2 c soup veggies/meat
2 tbs parmesan cheese, freshly grated

in a sauce pan heat the soup broth over low heat covered.  in a seperate sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat then add the onions once the oil starts to smoke.  let cook for 4 minutes then add the garlic, cook till cooked (haha)…2 minutes.  then add the rice and toast until lightly browned.  pour in the wine and stir as it is added.  once the rice has soaked up all the liquid add 1/8 c chicken stock and stir as it is added.  once the rice has soaked up the liquid add more and continue till all of the chicken broth is used.  then mix in the peas and the cheese.  and enjoy.

Carbonara Risotto

so there i was in the kitchen and i needed to cook dinner to go.  i wanted carbonara and i wanted risotto….so i figured why not push them into a lovely marriage with one another.  in any other circumstance pushing something/someone into marriage would not be desirable…but this works.  this dish has the same creaminess of the carbonara with the bacon and peas, but in a risotto.  the recipe is for one dinner portion, the amounts for 4 servings are in parenthesis.

Carbonara Risotto
1 tsp oil (2 tbs)
2 tbs onion, diced (1/2 c)
1 slice of bacon (4 slices)
1 garlic clove, minced (4 cloves)
1/4 c arborio rice (1 c)
3 tbs white wine (2/3 c)
1 c chicken broth (4 c)
1/3 c peas (1 1/3 c)
2 tbs parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1/2 c)

in a sauce pan heat the chicken broth over low heat covered.  in a seperate sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat then add the onions once the oil starts to smoke.  let cook for 4 minutes then add the bacon and the garlic, cook till cooked (haha)…2 minutes.  then add the rice and toast until lightly browned.  pour in the wine and stir as it is added.  once the rice has soaked up all the liquid add 1/8 c chicken stock and stir as it is added.  once the rice has soaked up the liquid add more and continue till all of the chicken broth is used.  then mix in the peas and the cheese.  and enjoy.

tips

• arborio rice must be used to achieve the creamy texture that only their starch can provide.
• if you want to make the dish a little more figure friendly but eat your bacon too, cook the bacon seperately (whether in the microwave or on the stove) then crumble it in at the end.
• you can also use pancetta since that is more authentic, but bacon is what i had on hand.  you can also use ham.

A Fall Staple: Risotto

when i think of fall i think of a few things: football, foliage, cold temps, and hearty dishes.  i stock up on chicken broth and put on my sweats.  it’s time to make the type of food that warms your soul, and what better than risotto.  the combination of the rice and the cheese just makes you want to melt.  this is the recipe (from giada delaurentis) i used the first time i made it, so why shouldn’t it be yours?

Red Wine Risotto with Peas
3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus additional for garnish
salt and freshly ground black pepper

bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. at this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. stir in the peas and parsley. add the 1/2 cup of parmesan. season, to taste, with salt and pepper. spoon the risotto into bowls. sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

tips:

• when you are using wine in a recipe, where the wine is the star of dish (such as risotto)..you have to use a wine that is good enough to drink.  if you use something that is sub-par…you’ll taste it right away.
• the secret to a good risotto is to stir the rice whenever you are adding broth.  when you stir the rice you’ll be drawing out the natural starches from the rice to create the creamy texture of the dish.
• if you can’t find arborio rice, use another type of short grain rice.  short grain rices contain the most starch, which is very important to the risotto.