Rice

Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
¹⁄₂ medium onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced (Mine weren’t quite completely red yet)
1 ³⁄₄ cup Arborio rice
³⁄₄ cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric
4 to 6 ounces soft goat cheese (I used half of a 10.5 ounce log)
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
1. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium pan or microwave until hot.  

2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add red peppers and cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add rice and stir for a minute or two to coat.

3. Add wine and cook, stirring, until fully absorbed.  

4. Start adding the broth, 1 cup at a time.  Stir often until the broth is fully absorbed into the rice.  Repeat this process, slowly adding more broth and stirring until absorbed, until the rice is tender, about 20-30 minutes.  You might not need to use all the broth, save what you don’t use for future cooking.)  

5. Once rice is done, turn off the heat and stir in the turmeric.  Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.  Add cheeses and stir until fully melted and incorporated.  Serve.  

Comments
This recipe comes from the great Pioneer Woman.  I saw it a few days before last week’s market and remembered it when I saw the red bell peppers.  Most risotto recipes I make only call for one cup of rice and this makes nearly double.  As a side dish, this could easily serve 6 people, if not more.  

The only change I would make to this next time is to add some garlic with the onion.  

Shown here with Pan Seared Duck Breasts Attempt #1.

Internet - Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice
¹⁄₂ cup olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced, about ¹⁄₂ cup
1 inch ginger root, cut in slivers
3 1-inch cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 black cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the pod (if not available, use green cardamom pods)
Salt
29 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (This is a large can, you can use a small can if you prefer fewer chickpeas.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced

Instructions
1. Thoroughly wash the rice in running cold water, then leave to soak in a bowl with enough water to cover for at least 1 hour. Drain.

2. Heat ¹⁄₂ cup oil in a saucepan, add the small onion, and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger, all the spices, and salt to taste and stir for about 1 minute. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the soaked rice and chickpeas. Cover the saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is about 90 percent cooked.

3. Dampen a clean, thick dishcloth with water. Remove the lid from the saucepan. Cover with the cloth, then put the lid back on tightly and set the pan over very low heat. (You can place the saucepan in a heavy frying pan to further reduce the heat.) Cook like this for 20-25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan, add the large onion, and cook until dark golden brown and crisp. Remove onion with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

5. Garnish the rice with the fried brown onions and serve.

Comments
This recipe is from Curry Cuisine, a fantastic cookbook with lots of great ideas.  I make it in a Le Crueset Dutch oven that was a gift from Art’s awesome parents.  It’s great with the temperature moderation.  This is a fantastic vegetarian dish and pretty much a complete meal when paired with a salad.  It also satisfies my love of chickpeas.  If you’re not a lover of chickpeas, feel free to use the smaller 15 ounce can. 

Shown here with Butter Chicken Curry.

Curry Cuisine

Ingredients
6 small beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
4 cups chicken broth
¹⁄₂ small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Instructions
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 1 ¹⁄₄ to 1 ¹⁄₂ hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.

3. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into ¹⁄₂-inch cubes.  The skins should come off fairly easily.  

4. While beets are cooling, bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Keep at simmer, covered.  (The quick and easy method that I use here is to put the broth in a microwave-safe measuring cup and nuke it for 5 minutes.  It’s then easy to nuke it a few more times during the cooking process as needed to keep it warm.)  

5. Cook onion in oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

6. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in ¹⁄₂ cup broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about ¹⁄₂ to 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be fully absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 18 to 22 minutes. “Constantly” means every few minutes, you do not actually have to stir the rice every moment of these 18 to 22 minutes.  

7. Stir in beets, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until heated through. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.  Depending on the variety of beets you have, the risotto might turn pink or red or purple.  Serve and enjoy.  

Comments
This recipe is inspired by one at epicurious.com.  The beets I had were a variety that is variegated red and pink, they don’t bleed as much as normal beets so my risotto didn’t get a lot of colour from the addition of the beets.  This was a very enjoyable dish, Art and I both had seconds of the risotto.  The beets added a sort of earthy and sweet flavor that complimented the rest of the risotto very nicely.  For my first experience with beets, I’d say this was pretty successful! Next time, if I have them, I might add a few more beets.

Shown here with Marinated Eye Round Steak.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
5 cups chicken broth
¹⁄₂ cup onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¹⁄₂ cups Arborio rice
¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed briefly with running water
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into ¹⁄₄-inch-wide strips
¹⁄₂ teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions
1. Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan and keep at a bare simmer, covered.  Or cheat, and heat in the microwave for 5-6 minutes.  

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and add onions, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring, until wine is completely absorbed.

3. Stir in 1 cup simmering/heated broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering risotto and adding broth, about ¹⁄₂ cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition become absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and creamy but still al dente, 18 to 20 minutes (there will probably be leftover broth).

4. Stir in peas, prosciutto, zest, ²⁄₃ cup cheese, parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, thin risotto with some of remaining broth. Serve immediately, with remaining ¹⁄₃ cup cheese.

Comments
I have no idea where this recipe originally came from since I’ve been making it for quite some time.  It is probably our favorite risotto recipe and we’ve tried quite a few over the years!

Risotto is one of those dishes that seems harder to prepare than it actually is.  Contrary to what the recipe says, you do not actually have to stir it constantly.  It’s easy to stir every couple of minutes in between prepping the other parts of your meal or setting the table.  

The lemon zest adds a great citrus note to this meal and the peas add good crunch.  I usually make this with white onion, but it works just as well with red onion, shallot, or a mixture of garlic and onion depending on your preferences and what you have in your pantry.  My preference is to mix in the entire cup of cheese instead of reserving some for garnish. 

I recommend using the lowest sodium chicken broth you can find, my preference is Kitchen Basics.  Making your own is also an option, but it’s not one that I take.

Shown here with Pan-Glazed Chicken with Basil.

Unknown