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Monday, March 22, 2010

Recipe Review from 3/15/10

Another most excellent recipe week! The downside was the weather had turned absolutely delightful (think 55* for Northern MN!) and I found myself playing outside till the sun went down. Which meant dinner was happening at 8:30p at night. Oops. Need to work on that timing a bit.

Both these dishes made very good leftovers, which is what I'm after these days. In addition, I'm still focusing on recipes that are using up pantry items - wild rice in the frittata and the last of 2009's squash in the risotto. Another bonus with both of these were the remaining ingredients were inexpensive - mushrooms, eggs, barley, shallots. I bought some bread to fill out the lunches and that was about it.

My only complaint is neither of these were exactly quick in the preparation aspect - time needs to be allotted to cook the wild rice as well as the squash, hence the late night dinners.


Barley, Butternut Squash, and Shiitake Risotto (Ckng Lght, Mar 2010)
Like risotto in texture but not in cooking method, this one-dish meal's creaminess is underscored with the addition of Taleggio, a soft Italian cheese. You can substitute Brie if you like.




Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Time: took about 2 hours total

Ingredients
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 1/2 pound)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2/3 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth (I used 2 cups veggie broth and 1 1/2 c H20)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces Taleggio cheese, diced (I used Brie)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine squash, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat. Arrange squash mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes, stirring once.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl; keep warm.

4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add onion; saute´ 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add barley and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Add broth, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is nearly absorbed. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in squash, mushrooms, and thyme. Serve immediately.



Mushroom & Wild Rice Frittata (EatingWell, Jan/Feb 2010) 4.0
Packed with a flavorful medley of chewy wild rice and three kinds of mushrooms, this satisfying frittata is perfect for Sunday brunch. Don’t worry if you can only find one kind of mushroom—the richly aromatic top of baked Parmesan and crisp prosciutto will make up for it.




Ingredients
Wild Rice
2 cups water
1/2 cup wild rice (see Note), rinsed
1/8 teaspoon salt

Frittata
5 large eggs (I used seven eggs total and used the whole egg)
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, white button, shiitake), sliced
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces), chopped


Preparation
To prepare wild rice: Combine water, rice and salt in a small heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the rice is tender with a slight bite, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain; you’ll have about 1 1/2 cups cooked rice.

To prepare frittata: About 30 minutes after you start cooking the rice, beat eggs and egg whites in a large bowl with parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg.

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

Heat oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium heat. Add onion and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary, then add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid and the pan is dry, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in the rice.

Pour the reserved egg mixture evenly over the rice and vegetables. Partially cover and cook until set around the edges, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and prosciutto. Place the pan under broiler and broil until the eggs are set and the top is nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the rice (Step 1), cool and store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Ingredient note: Regular wild rice takes 40 to 50 minutes to cook. To save time, look for quick-cooking varieties, which can be on the table in less than 30 minutes, or instant wild rice, which is done in 10 minutes or less.


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