Wowsa. How could something so easy be so delicious? I love that risotto only takes about 45 minutes to make in total and a couple of dishes to wash.
oh yeah, in the background is this gin fiz recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2012/07/blackberry-gin-fizz/. YUM!
- 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 lb medium shrimp
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped lemon balm
- 4 slices pancetta
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Bring broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add asparagus and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.
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Cook onion in 2 Tbsp butter with 1/4 tsp salt in a 4-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
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Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture and briskly simmer, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy and tender but still al dente (it should be the consistency of a thick soup), about 18 minutes. (There will be leftover broth mixture.)
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Stir in shrimp, lemon balm, and pancetta and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Stir in asparagus, zest, parmesan, parsley, and pepper to taste. (Thin risotto with some of remaining broth if necessary.)
I promise i did not photoshop the color on this image. The risotto really is that shockingly pink! This recipe is only moderately tweaked from Gourmet.com. Even though I eat it often, this is my first time making risotto and I was nervous. Joe is a risotto master. Luckily the condo we are staying in on St.Simon’s Island has only nonstick pans, so i could be a little less attentive than at home.
- 3 medium beets (1 1/2 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
- 3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl oz)
- 3 cups water
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups Arborio rice (14 oz)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
Garnish:
Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, made with a vegetable peeler
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
- Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.
- When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- While beets are cooling, bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.
- Cook onion in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
- Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed.
- Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 18 to 22 minutes. (Reserve leftover broth.)
- Stir in beets, salt, and pepper (mixture will turn bright pink) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with some of leftover broth, then stir in cheese and remove from heat.
green pasta
Joe is such an amazing cook!!! As soon as his exams were over last week, he started cooking for me every night. So far everything has been terrific. Last night was the first night that i finally got the camera out. We have been making plain semolina pasta with our beautiful new pasta machine quite a bit, but this was the first time we tried a new flavor. The recipe originally comes from The Silver Spoon – one of the greatest books of all time.
- 1 C all purpose flour
- 3/4 C 00 flour
- extra flour for dusting (plenty!)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- generous 1 C spinach, cooked, well drained, and chopped
- salt
- sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a mound on a counter.
- make a well in the center and add the eggs and spinach. using your fingers, gradually incorporate the flour, then knead for a few minutes (about 5). This is my favorite part.
- If the spinach is very damp, add more flour, a little at a time. Shape the dough into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes.
- roll out on a lightly floured surface or use a pasta machine to make a fairly thick sheet.
- The pasta may be used for lasagna, tagliatelle, tortellini and ravioli, but with enough flour works for fettuccine.
- After boiling for 3-4 minutes in a large pot of salted boiling water, Joe finished the pasta in a saucepan of heated, red pepper-infused olive oil and grape tomatoes. A little Parmesan on top – perfect. ENJOY!
two skinny jenkins 