Risotto with Olives, Capers, and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

When I made my oven dried tomatoes, I all along had an idea to pair them with something salty. I have made puttanesca a few times with chicken or even tuna, but this was my first "deconstructed" attempt using some of the similar flavors. Ok, that sounds like I planned this huge meal weeks ahead. Actually, I looked into what I had in my fridge and used what was available.

I like to make things into risotto, it's such a good dish and once you make it a few times it's like riding a bike. I was petrified of it when I first made it, but after making it I found it to be fantastically simple and delicious. The other thing that really kicks it off in my household is how downright good it is for you. When something tastes like you made it with cream but offers very little in terms of fat, it goes over well. I paired it with some easy grilled chicken for a great meal.

Mediterranean Risotto

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups Aborio rice
½ cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
8 ounces kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Place the stock in a medium pot over medium heat to have it hot to add to the risotto. Heat butter over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and coat with the butter, cooking the rice until lightly browned and the pot smells slightly nutty, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until evaporated.

Add two ladles of hot stock into rice, stirring constantly. Let cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. If the mixture is bubbling like crazy, turn the heat down a bit. When the liquid has been absorbed repeat with 1-2 ladles more of stock. Repeat this process until about 7 cups of the liquid has been used. Taste the risotto for doneness; it should be slightly al dente. If it's too crunchy, add another ladle of stock and repeat. When the risotto is still slightly crunchy and loose (remember, it will continue to thicken and cook after this), turn off the heat. Add the olives, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and red pepper flake and stir to combine. Add the cheese and stir until just melted. Taste the risotto and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with oven roasted tomatoes. Enjoy.

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New Years Revelations Part III: Risotto

This is much less of a revelation then previous posts. I consider it more fine tuning (and inclusion of pictures). Risotto, which remains one of my favorite dishes, is not near as hard as I originally

was made to believe. Though somehow at least 50% of restaurants manage to make it into a big deal or a big mess. I'm not saying I'm super accomplished or anything of the sort, but I'm pretty

sure 95% of people who know how to turn on a stove can make risotto with a pretty good degree of success. But I will stop talking and start including a recipe. You can find the original here.

This is a good spring time recipe as asparagus is currently in its peak season (more on that later this week). But do not let it limit your ingredient list. I have made risotto with squash, peas, chicken, saffron, and even goat cheese. Yummy.

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 onion, diced
2 T butter
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock

4 cups water
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Quickly steam for about 1 minute so just turn bright green but have all their crunch. Remove from steamer and rinse under cold water. Reserve cooking water and use as part of water for risotto.

In a small pot over medium low heat add the water and chicken stock until warm. In a heavy bottomed pan (I like a dutch oven, but any heavy pot will do), melt 2 T butter over medium heat until foaming, add the onion and some salt and sweat for about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and stir constantly until the rice is slightly colored and smells toasted. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Reduce the heat slightly and add about 1 cup of the stock, stirring constantly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat until about 20 minutes have passed and taste rice (note: you may not have to use all the stock/water). When slightly al dente add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes until shrimp are pink. Add the asparagus and cheese. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Risotto- Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Note- A newer version of this recipe can be found here
I am back, now hopefully without any pesky interruptions like school and graduation and things like that.

Lately I have become quite enamored with risotto. Maybe it is the fact that I have had really good risotto and really bad risotto. The good was creamy with a small bite, tasting as if it was made with gallons of cream and slow cooked to bring out the nuttiness in the rice. The bad was well, terrible, consisting most of packed rice into some sort of art shape and lacking any form of flavor or texture. The two extremes are the reason that I never made risotto at home. But, since I am a glutton for punishment, I finally decided to give it a whirl.

First is the rice. You need medium grain arborio rice, nothing else will work as well. I like Rice Select, but most arborio rice they sell in markets is satisfactory. Next comes the liquid you will be adding to the rice to make the dish. Some recipes call for all broth, some call for all water. Some use red wine or vegetable stock. I use what I have on hand. I found that using all chicken stock can make the dish a little too strong, so I tried to find a balance in what I added. Here is my recommendation. Use half stock and half water. If you are using vegetables, use the water you cook them in. Try and incorporate the flavors you are using into the stock, this will round out the dish much better. This brings me to my next point, the additional ingredients. I am giving a recipe for asparagus risotto. But I have also made spring vegetable and shrimp risotto. This dish can take most flavor combinations, and I am even working on trying a desert dish with berries and honey.

So now that the ingredients are settled, let me quickly give instructions for how to make risotto. It is much easier than you think. First, saute an onion (or similar vegetable) in a little butter until it is soft. Add the rice to this, stirring often until the rice starts to smell toasty and just take on a tannish hue. Add warm stock about a cup at a time, stirring the rice constantly until the liquid is absorbed. If you add it all at once you will make pilaf, and that is not what we are after here. Once the liquid is absorbed, add about another cup of stock, repeating this for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you must start to taste the rice!! That is the only real way to know if it is done. I never use the same amount of stock, which is why I always keep extra handy. You are looking for soft rice with just a little bit of al dente in the middle. Crunch is bad, but so is mush. This is where so many risottos go bad, people do not taste what they are cooking. If it is crunchy, add a bit more stock. If it is just rice, remove it from the heat. Finish the dish with some butter and cheese, and serve. See, not so hard. A decent amount of stirring, but if you take it slow, you will be hard pressed to make a mess of this.

Asparagus Risotto

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 onion, diced
4 T butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups chicken stock (1 can)
3 cups water
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Quickly steam for about 1 minute so just turn bright green but have all their crunch. Remove from steamer and rinse under cold water. Reserve cooking water and use as part of water for risotto.

In a small pot over medium low heat add the water and chicken stock until warm. In a heavy bottomed pan (I like a dutch oven, but any heavy pot will due), melt 2 T butter over medium heat until foaming, add the onion and some salt and sweat for about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir constantly until the rice is slightly colored and smells toasted. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Reduce the heat slightly and add about 1 cup of the stock, stirring constantly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat until about 20 minutes have passed and taste rice. If slightly al dente it is cooked, if it still has a crunch a a little more stock and re taste. Once it is to your liking, remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining 2 T butter and Parmesan, stirring to incorporate. Season with salt and lots of pepper, add the asparagus and mix. Serve hot or at room temperature

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