Spring Risotto with Lemon and Asparagus

I’m going to be honest, I just got 1-upped by my boyfriend’s dad in risotto-making last weekend. He makes this deliciously, heavy, earthy risotto with mushrooms that is very reminiscent of late fall but to commemorate spring, this light, lemony risotto is much more fitting.

Spring Risotto with Lemon and Asparagus
1.5 cups arborio rice
32 oz. organic/homemade chicken stock (or vegetable stock, though I can’t guarantee the same flavor)
1/2 c. asparagus sliced into discs (mine weren’t that disc-y but a little longer because I like having the crunch of asparagus), leave the tips whole
1/4 c. frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
zest and juice of half a lemon
3/4 c. dry vermouth or dry white wine
1/2 – 3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan
(1 tablespoon butter)

In a small pot, bring your stock to a simmer– you’ll want to have it hot so it doesn’t bring down the temperature of the risotto as you’re cooking it. In a separate, large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook your onions for about 15 minutes, very gently until translucent– make sure they don’t brown. Add your arborio rice, turn up the temperature to medium-high and cook it, stirring often. Don’t let the rice or onion burn.

Quickly pour in your alcohol of choice– I love vermouth because it’s white wine enhanced with some herby flavors and keeps much, much longer than white wine. I’ve heard people say to stay away from chardonnay because it’s very sweet but give it a try! Cook the wine until the alcohol scent has evaporated and most of the wine has either evaporated or been soaked up.

Add stock one ladle at a time (1/2 c. ). Only add more stock until the rice has absorbed the previous scoop. Reduce the heat to low so that the rice doesn’t cook too quickly (otherwise you’re left with uncooked insides)– this is a slow process.  This should take anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes. The rice should have puffed up and cooked al-dente.

Add 1 to 1.5 cups of stock to the rice and add your asparagus and peas and stir so that the vegetables are steamed through and the stock has been absorbed. Keep adding more stock, if needed. Turn off the heat and stir in your butter, parmesan, and lemon zest and juice. Be careful with the lemon as adding too much could compromise the flavor of the rest of the dish. I like lemon as an accent that should be a fresh background flavor to the rest of the risotto but add as much as you like– just taste it to be sure. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with a bit of olive oil, zest, or parmesan if desired.

Crispy Goat Cheese “Ravioli” with Bell Peppers

As promised, a vegetarian meal but it’s probably not very good for you (I mean, at least I don’t think it’s terrible). I MEAN IT’S FRIED IN BUTTER OLIVE OIL.

I originally adapted this from Bon Appetit who adapted it from Bonne Soiree from Chapel Hill, NC. Either it was too hard or I should’ve listened to myself and just avoided using wonton skins (that they wanted you to boil)! The restaurant makes its own ravioli dough so I’m sure it’s much more sturdy than the rest of the batch that I spent an hour making that just broke apart. Then I realized, hey a long time ago I made these beautiful fried wonton packets with mangoes and honey and the crispiness was to die for so why not do the same here?

Crispy Goat Cheese “Ravioli” with Bell Peppers
for the Bell Peppers
3- 4 medium bell peppers
1 small (3/4 c) onion, chopped
1 large tomato, seeded, chopped (1/2 c)
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp red wine vinegar
s/p

for the ravioli
8oz fresh soft goat cheese
1/4 c. mascarpone cheese
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon of an assortment of fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, chives, mint)
wonton wrappers

butter
Toasted Pine Nuts
(Thinly sliced Nicoise Olives– brine-cured black olives)
chopped fresh chives

Char the peppers over a gas flame or under a broiler under 450F until blackened on all sides. Place in a paper bag, seal, and let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Peel, remove seeds, chop. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook pinenuts until toasted and browned.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and tomatoes and cook until the onions begin to brown (4 – 5 minutes). reduce the heat to low and cook until the veggies are very soft and the onion is brown, stirring often (15 mins). Add chopped bell peppers and red-wine vinegar until the harsh vinegar smell has evaporated and bell peppers are warmed. Can be done a day ahead.

Lightly sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. In a large bowl, mix the goat cheese, mascarpone, parmesan, and herbs. With your fingertips, dampen the edges of the wonton wrappers. Fill each with about 3/4 tablespoon of cheese mixture. Fold in corners one at a time to have an even, square packet. Make sure they are sealed tightly and place it on the baking sheet. (Can be made up to 8 hours ahead, cover, chill).

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Gradually raise the temperature and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the butter begins to brown and releases a nutty aroma. Place wontons, fold side down, in the skillet and brown both sides. (Can be done in batches)

Rewarm the bell pepper mixture and divide among plates. Top with three or four crispy ravioli and drizzle with brown butter. Sprinkle with parmesan, pine nuts, olives, and chives.

Meat Free Mondays

Don’t even think about making me give this up.
(100% Angus beef, no hormones, no antibiotics, humanely raised and BACON @ the Counter)

As you may or may not know, environmental policy is an important issue for me and I’d like to endorse Meat-Free Mondays not because I think animals have feelings but because of the environmental implications of eating meat. In terms of sustainability, meat is sort of that awkward cousin to the dinner table. What to do with it? Should it be dismissed or banned? Is it sustainable?

In moderation, yes but that hasn’t been the case. Our consumption of meat has gone up dramatically since we first domesticated animals. We have added hormones and selectively bred our livestock to be so fat and meat-ridden that they can’t even stand. We have over-produced and over-exploited the land so that our livestock is standing knee-high in their own waste. We have fed them only GMO corn and soy so that the health of our children is threatened by e. coli infections from the consumption of this meat, our farmlands have been sucked dry of nutrition and fertilizers have contributed to water contamination.

At each stage of the “food-chain” energy is always lost. From the sun to plants to animals. At each stage of the food chain, the original energy that was captured by plants becomes less and less. The energy loss makes it so that the general population of, say, insects is far less than plants and the population of frogs is much less than the insects that they eat. Humans have been able to forgo this rule to an extent (there is still a world hunger problem) through mass production at the cost of our environment and health yet our consumption of meat has increased as has our production of CO2 and environmental degradation.

As mentioned, it takes much more land and energy to raise one cow than it does to raise the same field of corn or veggies. It also takes about 8kg of plant material to raise 1kg of beef and while the world’s use of corn and soy could reduce world hunger, that crop is grown to be fed to livestock. The livestock industry accounts for ~13 – 18% of global green house gas emissions– not only are the animals producing tons of waste but the fertilizers that are needed to produce the plants for the cows to eat are adding to the problem. But I’m not here to preach.

I am by no means a vegetarian. Meat is too tasty to give up (I LIKE MY STEAK BLOODY) and I’m too lazy to even think of how to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet but I have definitely been eating much more white-meat and I rarely have red-meat. Luckily, there are some things that you can do to help that isn’t crazy extreme like doing a 180 on your diet. Meatless Monday can definitely bring awareness to this cause and can reduce your CO2 production. Plus one-day-a-week vegetarian meals are good for you no matter which way you look at it. Whether it be for health, environmentalism, or animal rights, please support this cause!

Our next recipe is vegetarian and it’s not salad. I’m probably never going to put a salad recipe on here (at least not in the near future).

boo salads (unless it’s very, very salty).

supportmfm.org/index.cfm
goop.com/newsletter/68/en/
meatfreemonday.com

Oven- “Fried” Chicken Parmesan

I love things that are crusted. The problem is, half the time it’s usually deep-fried in a ton of oil (yum). Baking it kind of reduces the oil, reduces tons of fat (by 14g), and still gives it a nice golden crust. Using panko bread crumbs also gives it a crispiness that is associated with deep-fried heaven. I used whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs which, despite trying to BE panko, is texturally different (like whole-wheat bread vs white). Except in this case, whole-wheat is still incredibly crunchy and delicious. This recipe was adapted from my god-send of healthy cooking, The Best Light Recipe from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen.

Oven-”Fried” Chicken Parmesan
2 (or 3) 8-ounce large chicken breasts
1.5 cups (whole-wheat) panko breadcrumbs
1 ounce (about 1/2 c) grated parmesan
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp garlic powder
s/p
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp water
vegetable oil spray
your favorite tomato sauce
3 oz (low-fat) Mozzarella, shredded
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
~310 cal, 8g fat, 75mg chol, 20g carbs, 38gprotein, 790mg sodium

Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475F.

Trim the fat off the chicken and slice into cutlets. I have terrible knife skills but basically, you cut it as if you were butterflying the chicken but slice it all the way through. You’re then left with flatter cutlets. Easy enough except I’m incredibly bad at this and some were fatter or had holes in them.

Here’s how to get a beautiful, golden-brown coating on the chicken: Pre-toast the crumbs. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the bread crumbs and toast over medium-heat. With whole-wheat panko, it’s a little hard to tell when it’s done but it does turn a slightly darker brown– should take about 10 minutes. Spread it in a shallow dish and cool off.

In another dish, combine flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. In another dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place over it, a wire rack that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg whites and finally, the bread crumbs. Lay the chicken on the wire rack and spray them with vegetable oil.

Bake until the meat is cooked through and feels firm when pressed– about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken, spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over the top and 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella (I got excited and just sliced it). return the chicken to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with basil and lay it over a bed of fettuccine (leftovers from the last recipe).  Serve with a side of steamed broccoli and carrots.

— — —
BONUS!
Steaming Vegs in the Microonda (microwave)

I have a friend who taught me how to steam broccoli (and carrots) in the microwave. Just put a plate over a bowl of fresh broccoli and microwave for a half a minute. Carrots may have to go in for longer. He seasons it with some garlic powder (and tabasco.. ugh)! Super fast, especially if you’re short on time. I prefer, however, to blanch my broccoli in some salted boiling water for 4 or 5 minutes and season with a little salt if needed– it’s easier to keep it crispier.

Green Pasta Primavera

First of all, I’d like to say how much this stupid bowl looks like a styrofoam bowl after I took the picture and totally pigged out. Secondly, I probably should’ve used fresher tomatoes or omitted them because they were bitter. Thirdly, free-range is awesome but I’m never buying it again because it’s fucking expensive. I am buying local next time. THAT IS ALL. I love chicken as much as the next person but $7.99/lb is depressing. Buying local is far more “green” than organic anyways!

Springtime meals, to me, should be very light and fresh so a Pasta Primavera is the perfect dish to complement that. I originally wanted to keep it green but tomatoes just seemed like a great idea so I added a few grape tomatoes to accent it and the red really does pop. Originally made with an olive oil “sauce”, more recent Pasta Primaveras are made with a light cream sauce that I feel is much too heavy for a Springtime dish so I only added 1/4 cup of cream instead.

Green Pasta Primavera

1.5 c. onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 head broccoli, chopped into smaller pieces

6 – 7 asparagus shoots

1/3 c. frozen peas, defrosted in warm water

a few grape tomatoes

1/3 c. grated Parm

1/8 c. heavy (whipping) cream

1/8 c. milk

Fettuccine Pasta

4 large basil or parsely chopped into ribbons

olive oil

s/p

Cook Fettuccine pasta according to package. While pasta is boiling, chop up your stuff and blanch chopped asparagus and broccoli in boiling water for 4 – 5 minutes or until bright green. Transfer to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions until translucent. Try not to burn or caramelize too much. Add garlic and cook until aromatic. Strain your vegetables and add blanched broccoli and asparagus, defrosted peas, and tomatoes. Add cream and milk and stir. Slowly add half the parmesan cheese until melted. This will not make a particularly creamy dish so don’t be sad that it’s looking a little dry. Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked, al-dente pasta straight from the water, straining the rest under cold water with a tablespoon of olive oil. I had cooked way too much pasta but used it in another dish! Add your chopped basil and serve.

If you’re using parsley, cook it a little to take out some of that raw, bitter taste (I’m not a fan). Serve a fresh over cooked pasta along with some freshly grated parm and you’re good!

Hoisin-Marinated Pork Lettuce Wraps

I often wonder why I don’t cook Asian Food. It’s probably because I can never imitate the flavors of Chinese cuisine at home so I end up throwing together something that’s very “white-washed” in the end. So here’s a quick lettuce wrap that is inevitably not very Asian. It’s a sweet barbecued meat with a bitter, crunchy slaw over a crispy lettuce leaf.  I also added some extra fiber-y warmth with a scoop of brown rice. Typically, I would use Hoisin Sauce in the marinade but I didn’t have any. Whaat? No Hoisin at an Asian House? (I found it later in the back of the refrigerator…)

Anyways, I used something called “Char-Siu” (cha shao in mandarin) which is essentially a sauce made with a hoisin base but with other added ingredients such as 5-spice, soy sauce, and honey so if you find this, you can definitely use it in place of some ingredients I’m going to list. By the way, you can totally use a lean beef for this recipe. In fact, I bought pork on accident! I was going to make shredded pork but got lazy and just cut them in strips.

Hoisin-Marinated Pork Lettuce Wraps

For the Pork
1/4 c. Hoisin Sauce
(1 tsp honey)
1 tbsp mirin
1 – 1.5 tbsp(Lee Kum Kee) chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh gingerroot
6 oz. pork center rib roast or beef top sirloin, trimmed, sliced into strips

For the Slaw
(1tbsp water, white miso, rice vinegar, and honey)
1.5 c cole slaw (store bought or homemade: however you roll)
1 finely chopped scallion/green onion

(Brown Rice)
(Crushed Sweet Sesame Pecans– you can find these at Asian Supermarkets, they are Walnuts topped with honey, sugar, and sesame and are crunchy and sweet. If you can’t find it, you can omit it.)
1 Head of Lettuce
2 whole-wheat tortillas (8-inch)
~2 servings, ~300 calories, 40g carbs, 25g protein 8g fat

Combine the hoisin, ginger, garlic, mirin, honey and chili garlic sauce in a bowl. You can exclude honey and hoisin if you have Char-Sui. I like the sweetness of the honey but most of the time, I think hoisin is sweet enough by itself so honey is optional. I’m also really partial to the chili-garlic sauce that Lee Kum Kee makes particularly because it’s very mild with a chili flavor and lots of garlic. It doesn’t have much heat but packs a lot of flavor so if you’re using this brand, go ahead and add more because it’s really not that spicy. (I’m a total baby about spicy things and this is like a godsend).

Add the meat and toss to coat. Let it marinate for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine water, miso, vinegar and honey in a bowl. Toss with the cole slaw mix and scallions.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef strips until they’re seared on one side (2 minutes). Flip them, and grill until the beef is caramelized (2 – 3 minutes more).

Separate lettuce leaves. Top with a little brown Rice, slaw, crushed walnuts and a few strips of meat. Alternatively, you can go Mu Shu style and wrap it in warm tortillas. Traditionally, Mu-Shu is wrapped in paper-thin flour ‘tortillas’– they are not as heavy or thick as mexican-style tortillas. Usually its some sort of pork with different veggies and the hoisin is used as a sauce on the inside, separate from the filling.