Risotto Milanese: Easy, But High Maintenance

I had some extra mushrooms and decided to make my almost famous mushroom risotto Milanese. Sadly, while I was sick, my mushrooms had gone bad, so I ended up making my risotto without them. Usually I make this as a side dish with my coffee molasses pork chops, but because I'm not feeling well, I decided this would do nicely as a plain main course.
First, melt some butter and cook a diced onion in it until the onion is translucent. Add a cup of arborio rice and toss to coat in the butter; do not let it brown. Then, add a bit of dry white wine; I prefer sauvignon blanc, but this time I used chardonnay. Once the rice has soaked it up, add a saffron tea made from saffron soaked in hot water. Once the rice soaks that up, slowly add about a quart of chicken stock to your rice; once one portion of stock is soaked up, add another portion. Stir this mixture frequently, or you will end up with a scorched sticky mess in your pan. Once all the stock is soaked up (this should take about fifteen to twenty minutes, sometimes as little as ten), add some Parmesan cheese and a bit of butter, stir your risotto well, and voila! You have a risotto that people will die to try.
Will, as usual, loved it, but he did miss the extra flavor the mushrooms impart on this dish. Although I didn't add much to mine, don't feel limited by your ingredients; you can easily dress this up and add anything. Add Romano and Gorgonzola cheeses to make an unforgettable three cheese risotto, or add asparagus to it to add some color and rich flavor. I've even heard of adding shrimp along with the Parmesan and butter; the only problem with that is, be careful with when you put them in because nobody likes rubbery seafood.

Avocado Wraps: Fresh and Simple

I've had a massive ear infection that has resulted in severe sinus issues and thus the inability to cook or eat. Luckily, I'm on antibiotics, so I'm starting to feel much better; my temperature has stopped fluctuating erratically and I can hear out of both ears again. I'm still running an above average temperature, though, so using heat is the last thing I wish to do. I had avocado wraps on the menu, so this caveat wasn't exactly difficult to take care of.
All you do is warm up some tortillas; I used plain flour, but if you want to up the flavor and fiber by using multigrain tortillas, go ahead. You want the tortillas flexible, not hot, so don't worry if they didn't get very hot. Put some slices of avocado in the middle, followed by slices of cucumber (I used hot house because they are smaller so they require less cutting and I prefer the flavor they have to your standard English), halved grape tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Wrap all this up and you have a delicious dinner. If you want to use something to help keep your filling attached, use a bit of mayonnaise or mustard, and for a bit of zing, add some Tobasco sauce.
Will and I found this a nice way to take a break, especially since it was so hot out yesterday. Will's was vegan because he doesn't like mayonnaise and didn't use any Tobasco sauce where mine wasn't because I used mayonnaise and Tobasco (they use chicken stock to make it).

Matzo Ball Soup: Easy, Delicious Comfort Food

My husband and I have colds, so I decided to make something that wouldn't tire me out, but would soothe our sore throats. This did just that.
First, prepare your matzo balls. Take two matzos and either crush them, put them into the blender, or pulse in the food processor. I was a bit woozy, so I opted for the safest method and crushed them with a meat tenderizer. Next, beat together two eggs, two tablespoons chicken stock, and two tablespoons of either chicken fat or grapeseed oil. Add your crushed matzos and pepper to taste; mix until just combined. Let that sit while you bring two quarts of chicken stock to a boil; reduce to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then moisten your hands, bring the bowl containing the matzo ball batter to the pan of simmering stock, and roll your matzo balls, dunking them into the pan of hot broth. Make sure to keep your hands nice and moist. Once the matzo balls are tender, serve the soup nice and hot.
Will and I both loved it. He even asked me if I had enough eggs to make more while we're still fighting it off, which mean he may want it again later this week.

Vegan Three Sisters Soup: This Defrosted Failure Got a Revamp

I made this soup last year and froze it despite its being an utter failure with the intent of coming back to it and making it palatable. I didn't think it was salvageable, but it came out very good.
First, if you're going to use dried beans not canned beans, soak them overnight, drain them, and go through them to make sure you don't have any unwanted surprises in the beans. You only need about two cups, so it shouldn't be a huge deal. Next, cut up two carrots and a butternut squash; set aside. Boil your beans in vegetable stock for two or three hours, add some frozen or canned corn, and your butternut squash. Simmer this for thirty-five minutes or until the squash is barely tender. Add your carrot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer until the carrot and squash are tender. Needless to say, this recipe was pretty bland. What I did to change it was added more salt, since I didn't add enough, added Italian seasoning, and added some Tobasco to it. One thing for the vegans in the audience, read the ingredient labels. Some hot sauces add chicken stock, and that kind of ruins the point of making a vegan soup.
Will and I really liked it. The squash fell apart and incorporated into the broth, which gave a velvety texture that was missing in the soup before. The Tobasco gave a nice zip that was absent and lifted the flavor of the soup drastically.

Zucchini and Eggplant Parmigiana: Time Consuming, But Can Be Nutritious

I had a massive zucchini Will received from a coworker. I baked 43 muffins and two large loaves of bread with it, and still had zucchini to spare. I realized I bought an extra eggplant at the grocery store and decided to make Parmigiana since I had the oven running. This recipe has a bad reputation of being one of the worst recipes for you, but with a few tricks it can be made less bad.
For one, there is the sauce. Most tomato sauces have a handful of spices and are full of sugar. The way I sidestep this is by making my own tomato based Italian sauce. Will's great grandfather hailed from a small town near Florence, and brought the recipe to the US when he immigrated, so every year we make a big vat of it for spaghetti sauce, Parmigiana, or meatball subs. It's basically a Bolognese sauce without all the meat. By sweating mire poix vegetables, you impart a sweetness and add extra vitamins. Also, mushrooms in the sauce add extra texture to the sauce itself and to any dish that includes the sauce, plus if you use mushrooms that have added Vitamin D, you are again getting a pleasant addition of nutrients.
For another, you don't have to bread eggplant or zucchini as heavily as you do a chicken unless you plan on deep frying it. Just enough to create a barrier so the eggplant doesn't absorb too much oil and get greasy while frying is plenty.
Finally, be judicious with your cheese. Try to use a part-skim mozzarella, and don't go crazy with the Parmesan.
Now that we have the tips to slim it down, let's go on with the recipe. First, spice your breadcrumbs; I use lots of basil and Italian seasoning in my recipe and I prefer panko to fine breadcrumbs because it takes less of them to coat the food. Don't bother with salt; in Italian food, the cheeses and sauce do the talking, so the crumbs and vegetables don't need it. Then mix eggs and milk together. Dip your eggplant and/or zucchini into the crumbs first; don't worry about giving them a thorough coating because you are just going to dip it in the egg wash. Then dip it in the egg wash, let the excesses drip off the vegetable, and put it back in the crumbs. Again, you don't have to coat all sides, just the flat parts need to be coated, and even they only need a light coating. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet on medium-low; if you go any higher, you risk smoking the oil and burning the vegetables. Add the vegetables and cook until the crumbs are golden brown on both sides. Continue until all your vegetables are fried. Finally, it's time to layer. First get a nice deep casserole dish; if you go too shallow, your sauce will end up dripping out and onto the bottom of your oven. Layer one layer of vegetable, spoon generous spoonfuls of sauce over each slice, and put one slice of mozzarella onto each sauced vegetable. Sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan over the top, and repeat until all vegetables have been used. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Will and I both loved it; Will had one and a half helpings, and had to fight the urge to go back for thirds. Also, to help keep your weight down, leave two servings in the fridge for lunches and freeze the rest, like we do. Your waistline will thank you for it.

Fusilli with Zucchini: Delicious and Quick

I've made this once before and, since we bought two zucchini at the grocery store when we needed just one, I thought of making this recipe. I was not disappointed; in fact I think it turned out better than the last time I made it.
First, heat some olive oil on medium low and add a thinly sliced onion; cook until the onion is golden brown. Add two diced garlic cloves, and rosemary and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add 1 julienned zucchini and cook until crisp-tender; season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook your fusilli according to the package directions, drain, add some additional olive oil, and mix the zucchini mixture into the fusilli. If you feel that it needs Parmesan, feel free to add it.
As soon as Will walked in the house he said it smelled good. In fact, it made him so hungry that he had to go into our cupboard and get a small morsel to tide him over. We both loved it; Will must have gone up for three helpings.

Splurge Night: Blue Cheese Pasta

This was supposed to contain walnuts, but when I went to open the bag so I could measure out a cup of them, two flour moths flew out! I managed to kill one, but the other got in between the wall and my cupboard in such a way that I couldn't kill it. Hopefully it wasn't female and the two moths didn't mate, otherwise I'll have a serious crisis on my hands and will be even angrier than I was last night. Luckily we called the grocery store and let them know they had contaminated food, and they told us to return it in the next few days. What irks me is, this is a supermarket I've gone to and bought pasta from before and they are very clean. Perhaps it was the factory where the nuts were packaged that were lax, since they produce both organic and non organic nuts, and with organic products, you can't apply the same sanitation practices on packaging as you can nonorganic products. This is why I believe that some products such as grains and starches should not be sold organic; if you have to stick it in a plastic bag, it's likely to be contaminated and thus is not safe to eat.
I brought a pan of salted water to a boil and cook some penne pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, I melted a little bit of butter and added some diced shallots to it. Once they were browned I added some brandy to them; I used Grand Marnier, but any will do. Then I added a cup of cream and seven ounces of crumbled gorgonzola and let it cook til the cheese had melted and the sauce was thickened. I then added some frozen spinach and heated it through. I then poured my sauce over my pasta.
Will loved it; in fact, he went up for three helpings. I really liked it, although I was still pretty angry about the lack of walnuts, so I was kind of just eating without really thinking critically of what it was that I was eating.

Berry-Orange Game Hens: Summery, But Heats Up the House

I was considering grilling these instead of roasting them, but I'm glad I decided to roast them. This will be one of the recipes I keep on hand for a long time.
First, grate enough zest off an orange to measure about a teaspoon. Slice the orange in half widthwise and cut a thin from each half; quarter each thin slice. Take out two Cornish Game Hens and loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs; stick a quartered slice in each pocket that you have made. Season the hens with seasoned salt and pepper, put the hens in a roasting pan, and roast the hens in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine grape juice, strawberry jam, and juice from the remainder of the orange in a saucepan; bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened. Add the zest; if you add the zest too soon, your sauce will get bitter, so make sure to add it once the sauce is thickened and not before. Once the forty minutes are up on the hens, baste them in the sauce by pouring the sauce over the top of them. Roast the chickens for another 10 to 20 minutes or until the chickens measure 165 degrees for at least fifteen seconds.
I served this with baked potatoes and corn. I really liked it, and Will liked it so well that he actually ate the skin. He never eats skin because he doesn't like the texture of fat.

Stuffed Pork Chops: My Skills on Making Pockets in Meat Need Work

I decided to make orange glazed pork chops for dinner. The thing I didn't expect was, I didn't get thick enough chops, so stuffing them was a pain in the neck.
First, you saute some onions and mushrooms in oil until the onions are just tender, then take it off the heat and add some frozen spinach, ginger, and panko, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Then you cut a pocket in your pork chop, spoon some of the stuffing inside, and hold the opening shut with toothpicks. Season the outside of the chops with salt and pepper and stick them on a hot grill. Grill them for 35 to 45 minutes, turning only once and basting them with orange marmalade in the last five minutes; if you don't like orange marmalade, you could always use apricot jam instead. While the chops are resting, cook some sliced green onions in hot oil until tender; serve these next to the chops.
As I said before, I couldn't get a lot of the stuffing in because I had purchased chops that were too thin. Make sure that you have nice thick pork chops when you make this, otherwise you will have the same problem I did. The up side was, I was able to serve the stuffing as a side. I also served this with a baked potato, but really, any starch would do.
Will and I thoroughly enjoyed it; in fact, we both managed to eat a whole chop each.

Griled Portobello Pizzas: Simple and Tasty

This is one of my biggest summer hits because it is all done on the grill, and all I dirty is a plate, a cutting board, a cheese grater, and a knife while making it.
All you do is remove the stems from the mushrooms; I freeze them and use them when I make fish stock or vegetable stock. Next, oil the gills with olive oil and season them with seasoned salt and black pepper. If you like a little extra flavor, a little Balsamic vinegar is not a bad idea; I didn't add it this time, but I wish I had thought of that when I was making them rather than when I was eating one. Once your grill is heated, put the mushrooms on gill side down. While they are grilling, dice up some fresh tomatoes and grate up some part skim mozzarella cheese. Take out some frozen spinach to slightly thaw. Once the mushrooms are cooked on the gill side, flip them over, then put the spinach, tomatoes, and finally the cheese on them and cook until the cheese is melted and the spinach is heated through.
Will loved this; as I've said before, this is something I make every summer because we both like it so well. Better yet, we only eat one mushroom each, depending on the size, so all I have to do is get a third one for leftovers for Will to eat at work the next day.

Fettuccine With Sweet Potatoes, Feta, and Olives: Not Very Quick, But Still Tasty

Again, my failure to read the recipe resulted in me roasting in the middle of summer. Luckily, another thunder storm prevented my ability to grill, so it cooled down enough to roast the vegetables for this recipe without overheating the house.
First, I cubed some sweet potatoes and added some crushed garlic and olive oil, tossing to coat the sweet potatoes. I then put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and stuck them in a preheated 400 degree oven. I roasted them on one side for fifteen minutes, turned them over and roasted them another fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, I caramelized some red onion in butter. After that was done, I cooked fettuccine in boiling salted water and drained it, adding the onion to the fettuccine, along with the sweet potato, some basil, some crumbled feta cheese, and kalamata olives. Toss to coat with olive oil.
Will liked it so well that he had three helpings of it. I thought I could have done better, but it still wasn't too bad.

Summer Pasta Salad: It Has Vinegar in It, and Will Liked It

I didn't read the full list of ingredients when I put this on the menu, and was a little apprehensive about serving it to Will, knowing his dislike of all things vinegar. I really shouldn't have worried.
This is pretty simple and requires little to no electricity. First, cook some chicken and spaghetti; I poached my chicken with some dried onion and basil and used whole wheat spaghetti. Once your spaghetti is four minutes from being done, add some fresh green beans to your spaghetti. When the chicken is ready, take it out and leave it to cool; once it's cool, cube it up. Meanwhile, make a vinaigrette using grapeseed oil, white wine vinegar, sugar basil, oregano, garlic, and onion powder. Add sliced fresh zucchini, sliced crookneck squash, halved grape tomatoes, cubed chicken, and sliced red onion. By now, your pasta should be ready. Drain it and add it to the pasta. Toss everything to coat and serve.
Will and I really liked it. The only thing I would have done differently is add more tomatoes and omit the chicken.

Penne With Mushroom-Herb Sauce: Surprisingly Fresh

I have made this once before, and I must say that it tasted better this time.
All you do is saute your mushrooms in some olive oil; mushrooms absorb a lot of oil, so go easy on it. Meanwhile, bring some water to a boil. Add garlic and marjoram and cook for an extra couple minutes. Then add some dry white wine and cook just until it's evaporated. By now your water should be boiling, so add your penne and cook for ten minutes. Add about a third of a cup of cream and cook just until it starts to thicken. Once it's thickened, add a quarter cup of Parmesan cheese and the juice and zest of half a lemon. By now your pasta should be done, so drain the pasta, put it into a bowl, and pour your sauce over it, toss it to coat, and add another one quarter cup of Parmesan to the top. Serve it with some sort of vegetable; I personally used green beans, but any will do.
Last time, I didn't serve this with vegetables and Will was less than pleased. This time, not only did he appreciate the freshness of the sauce, he also liked the way the green beans complemented the pasta with minimum overpowering.

Gyoza: Difficult to Make, Tasty as Hell

I haven't made gyoza in a long time, which explains the lack of a photograph; my gyoza stayed together, but were not very pretty looking. Here is a pretty comprehensive way of making them.
First, make the filling. Take ground pork (if you're vegan/vegetarian, use cabbage, celery, and carrots), cabbage (this time I forgot to add it, but I usually do), green onions, powdered ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, and Vietnamese fish sauce (if you can't find fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce is comparable). Mix all this together until everything is coated evenly.
Take your wonton or gyoza wrappers and cover them with a damp cloth. Keep a small bowl of water nearby. Working quickly, take out one wrapper and place a small amount of meat in the center; fold the wrapper so it resembles a purse, and seal the edges with fingers that were dipped into the cup of water. Set these on a plate and repeat until all your meat is gone.
Heat some oil on medium heat and add your gyoza in a small batch. Brown the outside. Then pour some water into the pan, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Once the water evaporates, take the gyoza out and repeat the process with the raw gyoza until everything is cooked.
While you're doing that, make some ponzu dipping sauce. Pour some soy sauce into small bowls for however many you're feeding and add powdered ginger and yuzu juice; I personally can't find any yuzu in my supermarket, so I used lime juice instead. Mix it well. Serve the gyoza hot with a small bowl of ponzu.
Even though I forgot the cabbage, Will and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal. It may end up becoming one of my March stand-bys, since I tend to buy too much cabbage when I make corned beef and cabbage.

Cream of Potato and Sauerkraut Soup: Simple, Effective, and Tasty Use of Leftovers

I know this sounds pretty gross, but in application it is pretty tasty. As I have mentioned before, I am a real stickler when it comes to using leftovers. I had leftover mashed potatoes, so I knew immediately that I wanted to make cream of potato soup, which is an easy Finnish recipe I had picked up on a couple years ago. I also had some sauerkraut left over from when I made hot dogs and decided, why not combine the two and put my own twist on the traditional recipe?
The traditional recipe is pretty straightforward. First, you take about two cups of leftover mashed potatoes and mix them with about two and a half cups of milk, whisking to eliminate as many lumps as possible. Once you do that, slowly whisk in about a cup of half and half; this time I didn't have any half and half, so I made my own using some whipped cream and milk. Then you put it into a pan, if you haven't already, and heat it on medium heat, whisking constantly, until it's slightly thickened and bubbly. Then you add allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Then you put some soup into mugs and top the soup with a half teaspoon of butter. The variation I made was adding the sauerkraut just before it gets to the point of boiling. I also didn't add any butter when serving because, well, it's fatty enough without adding more.
Will wasn't home to try it, since he had to work late, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The sauerkraut added a nice zing to it without overpowering the potato flavor. And for those of you who are vegan, all you have to do to make this work for you is use mashed potatoes that have been made with dairy alternatives and instead of milk and half and half, use a soy milk of any other dairy alternative.
UPDATE: Will tried it yesterday for lunch. He enjoyed it as well and wants me to make it again. Perhaps on nights when I have leftover sauerkraut and not enough carrots to make carrot casserole I shall.

Cold Pork and Cheddar Sandwiches: Easy Use of Leftovers

Remember those pork chops I made earlier in the week? Well, I was afraid it would be too salty to make pulled pork with, so I decided on the next best thing: cold sandwiches served with tri-color radiatori with seasoned salt.
The trick to any good sandwich is the bread; you can have an amazing meat and really good cheese, but without good bread to emphasize the flavors, your sandwich will fall flat. I really like to use a San Fransisco sourdough bread, but any artisanal bread will do fine. Then, thinly slice your pork and cheese; if you want to add any other toppings, go for it. For example, I added sweet onion and mayonnaise, but Will had it plain.
We both really enjoyed it. While sandwiches may seem like a cop-out, they do work for something nice for a hot summer evening, especially if you make them into something more than just cold cuts and Kraft singles.

Hot Dogs With Sauerkraut and Caramelized Onions: Quick Yet Simple

It may sound not nutritionally dense, but we did this without any bread, so it's not as bad as it could be. I also used all beef, uncured hot dogs that are low on sodium and, instead of frying them, grilled them; all excess fat wound up in the depths known as my grill burners.
First, I grilled my hot dogs slowly with a smoker box full of hickory chips. The smoke can make up for the lower salt content by adding extra flavor. Meanwhile, I made my Bavarian style sauerkraut and caramelized my onions. With caramelizing onions, you don't need to use much; a little pepper adds a pleasant zing to them without compromising the flavor.
Will liked it, so well that he ate four hot dogs; he never does that.