Seafood Paella

 I never pass up an opportunity to have Paella when we go out to dinner to a Spanish or Portuguese restaurant even though I always consider trying something new it never ever happens. I love seafood and this dish is a great way to enjoy all types of different shellfish. When I made my list of 30 foods I wanted to make by the time I was 30 two years ago I knew it would be at the top of my list. Unfortunately, I'm going to be turning 31 in March and I've only completed 7 or 8 things. I bought this special 17 inch carbon steel paella pan from Williams Sonoma months ago and patiently waited for the right time to make my favorite dish. Although the rice wasn't as yellow as I was expecting it to be, it turned out amazing and delicious. Paella is great for a dinner party or holiday occasion with friends and family so I knew it would be the perfect recipe to kick off 2013. 

Ingredients:

3 Links of Chorizo

16 - 20 Shrimp - Cleaned and Tails off

1 Bushel P.E.I. Mussels and / or

1 Bushel of Little Neck Clams

1 lb Bay Scallops

3 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Cup Arborio Rice

1/2 Tsp Spanish Saffron

1 Yellow Onion - Diced

2 Garlic Cloves - Minced

1 1/2 Cup of White Wine

1 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Roasted Red Pepper - Sliced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

S & P

Adapted from: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/

Put your pinch of saffron in 1 cup of white wine for at least 10 minutes for it to infuse while you prep your onion and garlic. Pour the chicken broth into a small saucepan and place over low heat so it will be warm when you begin adding it to the paella. Put your paella pan over your largest burner, we have a oval center burner in the middle of our stove so I used that one. If you don't have a center burner you'll need to place it in between two of your largest burners and keep moving the pan around so the flame can get to all areas of the pan and it heats the food evenly.

 Over medium heat add the oil to the pan, once it is hot add the onions, cooking until soft and opaque about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic cook another 1 stirring so nothing burns. If you got raw chorzio add it to the pan, if you've purchased an already cooked variety you can add it later since it just needs to warm up.

Next add the rice allowing it to toast in the oil for a minute or two and mix in with the onions and garlic. Stir frequently. Also it's time to turn your chorizo over so it browns on both sides. Pour the wine with the saffron it in into the pan. Stir allowing the rice and aromatics to mix with the wine. Let this boil for a minute or two as the rice begins to absorb some of the wine.

Pour about a cup and a half of the broth into the pan and give it a good stir. Bring to a simmer and allow the rice to continue slowly soaking up the liquids, stir occasionally. If it begins to stick you can add a more broth little by little as it soaks it up. This whole process should take about 20 minutes.

Add your clean and defrosted scallops, shrimp and all but the last 1/2 of a cup of chicken broth to the pan. Give it a few good stirs and allow the seafood to cook for a few minutes. Grind some salt and pepper over the entire pan to season everything. It's now time to steam the mussels and /or clams separately  In a large pot over medium heat combine the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth, bring the liquids to a boil, pour in the mussels and/or clams into the pot and cover. It will take about 3 minutes for them to steam and begin to open up. 

Since the rice should be almost done by now soaking up all of the liquids, add your frozen peas. If you have cooked chorzio this is when I would slice and add it to the pan. They will take about 5 minutes to cook and by then your rice and steaming shellfish should be finished. Turn your heat down to low, add your sliced roasted red pepper to the pan. Discard any of the shellfish that didn't open from the pot and add all of the opened steamed shellfish to the pan.

If you used raw chorizo, take them out of the pan, slice them up and add them back in. Stir the entire pan so that everything is completely mixed together. Sprinkle with some fresh parsley and allow it to sit for over for about 5 minutes before serving so all of the flavors can mold together.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

Linked at: http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.michellestastycreations.com, http://www.momontimeout.com, http://www.thecountrycook.net, http://www.notyourordinaryrecipes.com, http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com/, http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.ca, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/, http://www.flourmewithlove.com/, http://www.momstestkitchen.com/, http://www.pandpkitchen.com/, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.chef-in-training.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com/, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, http://djssugarshack.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com, http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/, http://housewivesofriverton.blogspot.com/, http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/, http://www.gooseberrypatch.typepad.com/blog/

Red Wine Risotto with Sundried Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Don't worry there is nothing wrong with your computer screen. Yes, this dish is purple, which happens to be my favorite color!! Ok, I'll admit it is a tad strange but don't be afraid because its rich, filling, creamy and delicious. Risottos are becoming my very favorite thing to make and possibly the best thing I cook as per John which is surprising since I'm only Italian by marriage. I have already posted two different risottos that use white wine Roasted Vegetable Risotto and Spring Vegetable Risotto, so when I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to give the red wine version a try. You should too!

Adapted from: www.howsweeteats.com

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup Arborio Rice
1 Cup Red Wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
8 oz White Mushrooms - Sliced
4oz Goat Cheese
4 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Shallot - Minced
3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
3/4 Cup Sun dried Tomatoes - Sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp I can't Believe its not butter for cooking and baking
S&P

Start with two different pans and a small pot on the stove top: your largest pan will be for the risotto, the medium pan will be for the mushrooms and a small pot will be for the vegetable stock. Pour the vegetable stock in the pot, cover and put it over low heat. This way your stock will be warm as you gradually add it to your risotto later in the recipe. Over medium heat put 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil and 1 Tbsp of Butter or Margarine in each pan. Add the mushrooms to the smaller pan, season with salt & pepper and cook until golden brown stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes.

In the risotto pan add the garlic and shallots saute for about 1 minute stirring continuously so they don't burn. Next, add the rice mixing it into the garlic and shallots, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Then, slowly pour in the red wine, stirring as you add to combine everything together. Allow it to absorb, mixing it occasionally this should take about 5 minutes.

Once all the wine has absorbed and your rice is a rich red color you can begin adding the warm vegetable stock about 2/3 cup at a time. Pour the vegetable stock into the risotto each time stirring occasionally and allowing the liquid to fully absorb before adding another round. This should take about 20 minutes in total, remember risotto takes patience :)

By now your mushrooms should be done cooking so you can remove them from the pan and set them aside.

When you have finished adding all of the vegetable stock to the risotto it should be thick and soft. Turn the heat down to low and break the goat cheese log into slices. Allow the goat cheese to melt into the risotto mixing once in awhile so they it gets creamy and spreads throughout the entire pan.

Lastly, add the browned mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes to the pan. Cook on low for another 3-4 minutes till the tomatoes and mushrooms heat up and everything is well combined. Season the whole thing with a little salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and serve immediately with a little bit of parsley. Since this is rich I suggest serving it with a nice green salad.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

This is linked to:  www.permanentposies.com, www.itsablogparty.com, www.33shadesofgreen, 

www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com, www.mandysrecipebox, www.sixsistersstuff.com 

Spring Vegetable Risotto

So at this point I'm sure you are sick of traditional cookout food now that Memorial Day Weekend is over. I bet half of you feel like you could turn into a hot dog or hamburger if you tried hard enough. I'm also pretty sure everyone is feeling a little guilty about those extra drinks they had or that last piece of pie they couldn't say no to, or maybe it's just me. Either way I figured it was time for a healthy recipe with lots of vegetables so we can make up for those guilty feelings people normally experience after a long holiday weekend.

Adapted from: http://www.annies-eats.com/

Ingredients:
4 Cups Warm Vegetable Stock
2 Shallots - Diced
3 Cups Leeks (About 2) - Chopped both white & green parts
1 lb Asparagus - Thin Spears cut into 1inch pieces
10oz Frozen Peas - Thawed
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Zest
2 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Cup Risotto (Arborio Rice)
1 1/2 Tbsp I Can't Believe it's Not Butter for Cooking and Baking
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2/3 Cup White Wine
1/3 Cup Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese plus extra for topping
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
3 Tbsp Chives for topping

I will admit this is a little involved so your best bet is to prep the veggies now so that when you need to start adding them into the risotto everything is ready to go. Your peas should already be thawed, dice your shallot and chop up your leeks. Get your asparagus ready to be blanched as well. Since I had never eaten or cooked with a leek before I actually had to ask the produce person in the grocery store where they were because I wasn't sure what they looked like haha. What I did learn is that they are very dirty so make sure to clean them well before chopping them up. I would suggest soaking them for a few minutes in some warm water.

Heat the olive oil and the I Can't Believe it's Not Butter at the same time in a large pan over medium heat. After the butter has melted, add the shallots and leeks. Cook until tender about 5-7 minutes.

Pour the vegetable broth in a medium sized pan and heat it up until simmering. Reduce it to low and keep the broth warm as you prepare the risotto.

Add the risotto to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Next add the white wine and allow it to simmer for a minute, stirring constantly until almost all of the wine has been absorbed. Once the wine is gone you can begin slowly adding the warm vegetable broth 2/3 of a cup at a time. Stir frequently, be careful not to add another round of broth until the previous broth has been soaked up by the rice.

While the risotto is cooking you can blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water for 5 minutes until slightly tender. When they are done cooking immediately put the asparagus in cold water to stop the cooking process and keep them crisp until it is time to add them into the risotto. Dice them into 1 inch pieces.

When the risotto has cooked for about 15 minutes you can add the peas and pieces of asparagus. Carefully stir everything together. Next you can add the salt, pepper and lemon zest. Conitue cooking the risotto stirring frequently and adding the broth as nedded until the rice is tender. It should take about 30 minutes to have added all 4 cups of broth.

Once it is done cooking you can remove it from the stove and add the lemon juice, Mascarpone and Parmsean cheese. Stir until the cheeses are melted and the risotto is smooth and creamy. Spoon into bowls, top with chives and more Parmsean cheese if desired.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

Linked at: http://www.gooseberrypatch.typepad.com/blog/, http://whipperberry.com/, 

Wild Mushroom & Roasted Vegetable Risotto

As a huge fan of risotto in restaurants I was intimidated to try and make it at home but this was relatively easy and tasted amazing. I will admit it takes some time, so this isn't a recipe you should make if you are in a rush or can't attend to the stove for at least 40 minutes. Up until this fall season I have never bought butternut squash let alone used in a recipe. It was an ingredient I wasn't familiar with at all but now I can't wait to use it again. It has this delicious taste that is sweet and savory at the same time. The Shoprite in Hoboken made my life simpler because it was already peeled and diced.

Adapted from both: Bride & Groom First & Forever Cookbook & http://www.canigettherecipe.com/

4 Cups / 1 Quart Vegetable Stock
1 cup Risotto (Arborio Rice)
1 Sm Eggplant - Peeled & diced into cubes
10oz Butternut Squash - Peel & diced into cubes
6 oz Crimini Mushrooms - Cleaned and Sliced
1 Red Pepper - Diced into large pieces
1 Onion - Diced into large pieces
1 Tbsp Diced Garlic
1/2 cup White Wine
1 Tbsp Margarine
4 Tbsp Olive Oil - 2 for Roasting Veggies / 2 for Mushrooms
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese & extra for topping
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
S&P to taste
Parsley for Garnish

Start by prepping all the vegetables. Put the eggplant, onion, pepper & butternut squash in a bowl, season with salt, pepper, thyme and add olive oil. Toss with your hands to coat and spread one layer thin on a baking sheet. With the oven @ 400 F roast the vegetables for 30 minutes flipping them over once half way through. While the vegetables are roasting you can begin to make the risotto.

Pour all of the vegetable stock into a pot and slowly heat it up on low on the burner next to where you are beginning the risotto. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms but be sure not to crowd them together. They will not cook properly if they don't have enough room which is a technique I learned from Julia Child while watching the Julie & Julia movie. Cook the mushrooms until they are tender, about 8 minutes and then add the garlic cooking for about 2 more minutes.

Add the risotto and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine, mixing well allow the risotto to soak up all the liquid which should take about 2-3 minutes. Once the risotto has absorbed the wine you can begin slowly adding the warm vegetable broth in 3/4 cup increments.

When you add the broth each time make sure you are stirring regularly and allowing the risotto enough time to absorb all the liquid. It should take between 20-25 minutes to add the entire quart of broth. By the time you are finish the risotto should be full, tender and creamy. Add the margarine, parmesan cheese, roasted vegetables and mix well. If you feel the risotto is beginning to stick add a little bit of water to the pan. Cook until everything is melted and mixed in. Salt & Pepper to taste. Divide into bowls and serve. Sprinkle with parsley and more parmesan cheese if desired.

      Enjoy!! - Nicole