Spring Risotto

I was in a mood to eat risotto today, and had been thinking of a spring risotto with leeks, asparagus and peas. All GREEN! I got the ingredients, and used the basic risotto recipe to make this delicious dish, fantastic pairing with some full bodied red wine. It turned out delicious, seems like I have mastered the risotto now ;) especially after the new year mushrooms and peas risotto!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1 cup chopped fennel

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 to 5 cups simmering vegetable stock

1 pound thin asparagus

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus

 

 

 

Method:

 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water.

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and lemon juice. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with chives and more Parmesan cheese.

Piadine with gorgonzola spread, kale and roasted vegetables

I saw Giada's latest episode with grilled flatbread, kale and mushrooms, and decided that I had to make this recipe, the very same weekend! It was too delicious to resist, not making it!:) I made a variation of it, with piadine dough, and used a different concoction of the vegetables. I used all winter vegetables, with butternut squash, carrots and zucchini, roasted the vegetables with olive oil and maple syrup, and cooked it in with the kale. DELICIOUS!

Recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

Piadine dough:

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
About 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
1 cup cool water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons gray salt

Gorgonzola Spread:

1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Salad on top:

1/2 bunch of kale, well washed

1 cup butternut squash cut into small pieces

1 cup carrots cut into small pieces

1 cup zucchini cut into small pieces

2 shallots cut into small pieces

2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For the Piadine dough:

Whisk together the yeast, lukewarm water, and 1/2 cup of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Dust the top lightly with flour, cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave the sponge to rise until the flour dusting "cracks," showing the yeast is alive and well, about 20 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the flour, the 1 cup cool water, the olive oil, and the salt. Start kneading at low speed, then increase the speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to produce a slightly moist and soft dough. Knead with the dough hook attachment until smooth and silky and the dough adheres to the hook.

Dust the dough lightly with flour and, using a pastry scraper, scrape it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, folding the dough over on itself. Shape into a ball, flatten slightly, dust lightly with flour, cover with a towel, and leave to rise on a floured surface (or in a bowl) until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough down, wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month if not using immediately. Defrost and let rise in a large bowl in the refrigerator.

For the Gorgonzola spread:

Put all ingredients into a food processor and run it, until well blended, about 2-3 minutes.

For the vegetables:

Put the butternut squash, zucchini and carrots into a square pan, coat it nicely with 1 tablespoon olive oil and maple syrup, salt and pepper and roast it in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees.

In the meanwhile, in a saute pan, put the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, and add the shallots, once oil is heated at medium heat. Add in the Kale, and saute with pepper, and little salt. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar. Kale is done in about 5 minutes. Now add the roasted vegetables to the kale, and your salald topping is ready!

To assemble:

Take about 1/4 of the dough, and roll it out onto a cookie sheet, into a very thin layered dough. Use your hands if you cannot roll it out with the rolling pin. Brush the top with olive oil, or garlic infused olive oil, and pur it in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees, for 15 minutes.

Once piadine is done, top it with a generous layer of the gorgonzola spread, and then the salad topping. Piadine is ready to eat!:)

Spinach, zucchini and corn lasagna

I made this vegetable lasagna for a xmas dinner when my brother and sister in law were visiting from India. I was supposed to have a dinner with friends over, but unfortunately Anishka fell ill, and had high fever so we decided to cancel the party. We had an intimate dinner amongst ourselves, where I had made tiramisu the previous day, made lasagna, bread with garlic compound butter and mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. DELISH! :) Was a xmas eve dinner to remember :)

Ingredients:

Two 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 zucchini, diced

6 cups store-bought or homemade marinara sauce

12 no-boil lasagna noodles (8 ounces)

1 bag of chopped spinach
3-4 fresh corn off the cob boiled
1/2 large onion thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves minced


Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the mozzarella, Parmesan and basil.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the spinach, corn and zucchini, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Remove from the heat and drain off any excess liquid.

Spread a third of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Spread a third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by a third of the cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with a third of the shredded cheese mixture. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with the shredded cheese mixture on top. Cover the top of the dish with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Margharita Pizza

So, my first attempt at making pizzas was a success! :) I tried the basic simple margharita pizza, with fresh mozarella cheese and fresh basil on the top. On the pizza dough, I brushed it with olive oil infused with garlic and red pepper flakes, and then added the tomato sauce, fresh mozarella and basil! Heres to more delicious pizzas for the pizza lovers of our home!:)

Ingredients:

For the pizza
1 1/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
Good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups of Pizza Sauce(recipe already on Blog : Italian)
slices of fresh mozzarella
chiffonade of basil leaves(8 leaves)

Method:

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of the flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the garlic oil. Place 1/2 cup olive oil, the garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each parchment-lined sheet pan. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.) Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown. Garnish with the chiffonado of basil leaves on each pizza and serve immediately! :)

Pizza Sauce

I had been wanting to try making pizzas for the longest time! I finally came across a good recipe for pizza dough. And the pizza sauce recipe is really simple! It turned out really good!!

Here it is!

Ingredients:

1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes
1 red onion finely diced
3 garlic cloves finely diced
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
6-8 chiffonade of basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

In a medium pot, put in the olive oil at medium heat. After a minute add in the onions, garlic and saute it until translucent. Then add in the tomatoes, and the remaining ingredients ie salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil. Using an electric blender, blend it in the pot itself.

Simmer at low to medium heat for half an hour. Make sure that the pot is covered else it will splatter everywhere.

The pizza sauce is ready after half an hour! :)

Eggplant Parmesan

I tried making eggplant parmesan last week on Friday, and it was pretty simple, just a bit tedious. It turned out great and was delicious, comparable to what you get outside! Hubby made chicken parmesan the same way, and he loved it as well. Cant wait to make it again! :)

TIP: Put less salt for drenching the eggplant. It may become too salty.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3/4 cup panko* (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced
basil leaves finely chopped for garnish
3 cups of marinara sauce(previous recipe)


Method:

Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.

Heat the olive oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil.

Marinara Sauce

I plan to make chicken parmesan for hubby and eggplant parmesan for myself, on this coming Friday, using the below marinara sauce recipe. This is the first time I am going to try making the eggplant parmesan, and the key is to make a good marinara sauce! This is Mario Batali's recipe, and it CANNOT go wrong ;) I made the marinara sauce yesterday and it has turned out pretty good !! Very Happy with the result ! :) Look out for the eggplant parmesan recipe next!


Ingredients:

1 28 ounce can of whole and peeled tomatoes
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 cup chopped onions
11/2 carrots peeled and coarsely grated
11/2 tablepoons of thyme leaves chopped
3 tablespoons chopped basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste



Method:

In a deep saucepan, at medium heat, add in the oil. After a minute, add in the garlic and the onions and saute till its translucent, about 7 minutes. Add in the thyme and the grated carrots and saute for about 5 minutes till the carrots are soft.

Now add in the whole can of tomatoes, and break the tomatoes with a fork or a masher till coarse. Add in the chopped basil, salt and pepper. Now let the mixture boil once, and then at low heat let it simmer for about 40 minutes till it reduces. Now with a hand blender, blend the sauce until it is coarse but not really smooth.

Let it cool on the side, and then you can store it in a container for about 2-3 days. OR freeze it upto a month.