Arancini di Ris

One of my favorite things to make and eat. This recipe is by Giada de Laurentiis. I don't use her exact risotto recipe, you can use your own if you want. I use chicken stock in mine, and no dried mushrooms because i think they taste like burnt hair.

Yeild:

about 20 servings

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas, recipe follows, cooled
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 2 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt
• 
  
• Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
• Stir the eggs, risotto, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture for each, form the risotto mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
• Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot ail and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Directions

Mushroom Risotto with Peas:

8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups finely chopped onions

10 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or short-grain white rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Hummus*

• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more, for drizzling
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• Fresh pita bread
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, rough chop
  

Directions

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini paste, and garlic. Process until smooth. While the processor is running, drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil, a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the hummus into large bowl. Drizzle the hummus with olive oil and garnish with olives and fresh parsley. Serve with warm pita bread triangles.

*You can add other things to this to change the flavor. Ex. more lemon to make lemon hummus, more garlic for garlic hummus, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, jalepenos, etc. just remember to add olive oil last.

sweet tea

Milo's Sweet Tea tastes like what true sweet tea should taste like. No wonder it's famous! True sweet tea should not be overly sweet like a lot of the sweet tea on the market is. Milos is my favorite hands down!!! Next to homemade of course.

Culinary School Phase 2.....

I have decided to go back to culinary school at the Art Institute of TN - Nashville to get my Bachelor's degree. As of now I only have my Associates degree in culinary arts and in hopes of bettering myself and my career I will be getting my bachelors for culinary managment.
I am so stoked! Oh, don't worry, I will still be blogging!

On a side note, let me know if there's any recipes you guys would like to see. I am always open to suggestions!

honeyed cantaloupe sorbet

2 quart containers of chunked cantaloupe(should be able to find at your grocery store or you can chunk yourself)
8oz of your favorite honey

Puree cantaloupe on food processor. While processor is running pour in honey and process until completely smooth.
Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.


*i made this for a party last night and it was a huge hit. The honey complements the cantaloupe so well!

Recipe

BRUSCHETTA:

24oz. Grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion rough chop
2 cloves garlic
1/2c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4c. Fresh basil
S & P to taste
Pinch of sugar
1Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar reduction

1. Place garlic and onion in food processor, blend until finely chopped
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse several times until everything is finely chopped
3.Serving suggestion: Spoon onto toasted bread, sprinkle with parmesan and bake until cheese is golden. Or, serve with bruscetta pasta(recipe follows)




BRUSHCETTA PASTA WITH GRILLED CHICKEN FOR 2:


1 whole pounded chicken breast
14oz. Cooked angel hair pasta
2c. Bruscetta mixture
S&P To taste
1oz.balsamic glaze

1.Heat grill to 400F place chicken on grill at a 45 degree angle.cook about 2-3 min and then turn chicken the other way at a 45 degree angle to acheive nice grill marks. Cook another 2-3 min and then flip and cook until no longer pink. (Grill marks aren't necessary on this side) remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile in a saute pan heat bruschetta mixture until hot and toss with cooked angel hair.
3. Plate pasta and top with grilled chicken
4. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over chicken and garnish with a sprig of basil if desired(a squeeze bottle works best for drizzling the balsamic reduction)

*to make balsamic reduction simply place desired amount of balsamic vinegar in a suaucepan over med heat and reduce about 3/4 or until desired consistency is reached. It will thicken more upon cooling so be careful not to over reduce.

My version of Spaghetti alla Carbonara

I know, it's different. I sauteed pancetta with diced zucchini and addded it to a creamy red sauce with a sunny side up egg to top it off. YUM!!!