Spring Green Risotto

I have noticed this Spring Green Risotto in my Back to Basics cookbook by Ina Garten, but havne't ever felt like trying it.  Especially with our damp northwest weather.  But with the recent sunshine, and a friend raving about this recipe, I gave it a shot.

I'm always hesitant to make risotto.  It is so delicious, but it takes some serious attention.  While I love too cook and bake, I don't necessarily want to stand at the stove for 45 minutes while tending to just one part of a meal.  The risotto turned out great, and made enough for a few meals.  So the time it took to make this paid off in leftovers and with how much the entire family loved the flavors. 

The leeks and fennel getting tender:

And the  1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice ready to be added to the pan.

Slowly adding five cups of broth over 30 minutes...

 Meanwhile, the asparagus gets blanched in salted water.

 The asparagus, peas, lemon zest, salt and pepper get to join the party.

 I'm starting to lose my patience... So much stirring.

 My patience is restored with a glass of wine. The recipe calls for wine, and so do I.

 The finished risotto was perfectly tender and the vegetables add a nice texture to the dish.  My son literally licked his plate and used his fingers to make sure he got every last bit of sauce!

Ina does it again! Click here to view Ina's recipe courtesy of the Food Network.

Sweet Potato Souffle

My must for Thanksgiving dinner, aside from turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy?  Sweet potato souffle!  It is creamy, sweet, with nice body and topped with roasted marshmallows.

I found this sweet potato recipe years ago, and every time I make it, we all go back for second or third helpings.  If you enjoy sweet potatoes, and also love marshmallows, you need to try this!

The finished product... Served alongside a mini Thanksgiving meal I made tonight.  Roast chicken, stuffing, salad and my beloved sweet potato dish.  I did learn to not put the marshmallows so close to the edge of the dish.  They melted over the side! 

Sweet Potato Souffle

3 large sweet potatoes cooked and whipped

1 c. sugar – try less sugar and brown
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 bag marshmallows

Peel and cook potatoes until tender. Drain potatoes and whip. Add sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well and put in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Place marshmallows on top and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until brown on top.

The BEST Onion Rings

I kid you not.  These are the best onion rings I have ever tasted.  My husband always orders onion rings if it's an option instead of fries.  The fact that he told me these were the best he has ever had solidifies my opinion.  If you even slightly like onion rings, you MUST try this recipe.

I sliced one large onion and separated the rings.

I put the flour mixture in a storage container and added onion slices.  Put the lid on and shook to coat the onions evenly.  You could also use a sealed plastic bag to do this.

Then dipped each ring in to the batter, then dipped in to the crunchy chip-panko mix and placed on an oiled cookie sheet and baked.

The end result were crunchy onion rings.  No slimy onion on the inside, no gobs of grease.  Just extra satisfying rings!

Oven Fried Onion Rings
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

1 c. mayo
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour

3 c. crushed potato chips
2 c. panko bread crumbs (don't use regular bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp salt

1 large onion
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  In a resealable container or plastic bag combine flour, salt, pepper and cayenne.

In a bowl combine the may, eggs and 1/2 c flour. Whisk until a smooth batter is formed.
Crush all the chips finely and place in bowl with the panko and 1/2 tsp salt.

Peel the onions and cut them into 1/2 inch rings.

Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment. Drizzle with 3 tbsp vegetable oil, then put in to oven for 5 minutes or until the oil starts to smoke.

In the meantime, toss the onion rings in the flour mixture.  Dip each ring into the batter. Tap off the excess batter.  Then coat the rings with the crushed potato chips and panko.

Place the rings on the hot baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes, then flip each ring over and bake for additional 6-8 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of the rings and how many you can fit on sheet.  Do leave a little space between rings!

Remove rings from oven and sprinkle with a little salt and serve with your favorite dip.  We used ketchup and my husband added a few drops of tabasco to give his dip a kick.

Tabbouleh

We attended a 2nd birthday party and had this fantastic Tabbouleh salad.  Not surprising that it is a Ina Garten recipe... all her creations have the best flavor.  The kids weren't too hot on this refreshing dish, but Tony and I loved it and we had enough for a few meals and shared some with my mom.

My only recommendation is to watch the salt.  My finished product was much too salty for my taste and I had to add more bulghur wheat to help cut it.  And good luck finding bulghur wheat!  The grocery clerks sent me to two completely wrong aisles in the store... I discovered it in the natural section of the baking aisle...

Tabbouleh, courtesy of Ina Garten and Barefoot Contessa Parties!

1 cup bulghur wheat

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c. minced scallions, white and green parts
1 c. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Goes great with bbq'd fish or chicken.

Zucchini Salad

This is a nice twist to the usual salad or vegetables.  Mint and feta give a nice flavor and the kalamata olives give a salty punch.  This goes great with grilled chicken and tastes very good on a warm day.  You can marinade chicken breasts in some olive oil, chopped fresh dill/parsley/garlic cloves, salt, pepper - very similar to salad dressing below.  Let sit for a couple hours or overnight.

Zucchini Salad
4 zucchini, sliced lenthwise in to very thin ribbons (use a mandoline if you have one!)
1/2 c. shredded fresh mint
1/2 c. coarsely chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

Zucchini Salad Dressing, combine the following in small bowl:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine zucchini, mint, and olives in a large bowl and drizzle with combined dressing ingredients above.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Looking for a great sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving?  Then stop what you're doing because I've got the perfect dish for you.

I'm someone who loves sweet potatoes and yams.  I love them even more if they've got a topping of roasted marshmallows.  That may gross some of you out. But don't fear, you can exclude them from this recipe, or just cover half the dish with those fluffy white clouds of sugar.  This Sweet Potato Soufflé will knock the socks off your relatives.  Enjoy!


Sweet Potato Soufflé

3 large sweet potatoes cooked and whipped
1 c. sugar – try less sugar and brown
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 bag marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional (I typically don't include)

Cook potatoes until tender. Scoop out flesh and whip (discard the skins). Add sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well and put in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Place marshmallows and pecans on top and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until brown on top.