Saffron Risotto

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make and to eat. Made with short grain or Arborio rice, the butter and stock thicken together to make this recipe wonderfully decadent. If I am not making a shellfish dish to accompany the risotto, any time I boil lobster, shrimp or any shellfish, I keep + freeze the shells to make the stock at a later time.

This is not a quick dish to make, but I find it very relaxing to stir and meditate. It may take at least 20-30 minutes for the rice to cook and absorb the liquid. Be patient-the finished product should be tender yet al dente (I usually test this several times during the process.) Risotto should have a creamy consistency.

This particular recipe uses Saffron, which is quite pricey but worth the expense for a special dinner, such as Valentine’s Day.

Risotto:
5 cups lobster or shrimp stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cup white wine
2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon saffron threads
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the shallot until softened but not colored. Raise the heat to high add the wine, and reduce until dry. Reduce the heat, add the rice and saffron and stir until the rice is coated with the oil. Cook 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat with a second cup. As the rice becomes dry, add stock in 1/2 cup increments, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan cheese.

King Ranch Casserole

“With its layers of tender chicken, corn tortillas and spicy tomatoes bound together in a rich, cheesy sauce, King Ranch casserole might be the most famous casserole in Texas. Favored by home cooks, this subtly spicy casserole dates back to the 1950s.” -by Christopher Kimball, chef

If your family likes Mexican food, this is the casserole for you. I made this last night and it was fantastic. All three of the “big boys” had seconds and one had thirds! Needless to say, there were no leftovers. Even though the kids usually pick around the tomatoes, the veggies were obscured by the chicken and cheese and all plates were clean.

Looking at the recipe directions, I anticipated an hour and a half total kitchen time. In actuality, it came out to under an hour.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/4 cups Fritos corn chips, crushed

DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the tortillas on two baking sheets, lightly coat both sides with cooking spray, and bake until slightly crisp and browned, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then break into bite-sized pieces. Using potholders, adjust the top oven rack to the middle position.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, chiles, and cumin until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Add the cream and broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, add the cilantro and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Scatter half of the tortilla pieces in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon half of the filling evenly over the tortillas. Scatter the remaining tortilla pieces over the filling, then top with the remaining filling.

4. Bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the Fritos evenly over the top and bake until the Fritos are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool the casserole 10 minutes. Serve.

Things you can do ahead of time: The casserole can be assembled through step 3 and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 day. When ready to bake, remove the plastic, cover the casserole with foil, and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the crushed Fritos, and proceed as directed with the rest of step 4.

This recipe is from todayshow.com by Chef Christopher Kimball.

Coconut Shrimp

One of my favorite seafood appetizers is Coconut Shrimp. They serve this dish at Red Lobster and I thought I would try it at home. It was a definite hit! This is best prepared in a deep fryer, but instructions for making in a dutch oven are below.
I am also adding an alternate sauce for this dish, but both sauces are equally delicious!

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.
For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

Alternate Sauce: PINA COLADA DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
1/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

This recipe is courtesy Robert Pickens for foodnetwork.com.

Recipe File: Coconut Shrimp

One of my favorite seafood appetizers is Coconut Shrimp. They serve this dish at Red Lobster and I thought I would try it at home. It was a definite hit! This is best prepared in a deep fryer, but instructions for making in a dutch oven are below.

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce: 
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
1/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Shrimp:

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.

For the Dipping Sauce:

Add all ingredients to a bowl, and stir to incorporate. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Robert Pickens for foodnetwork.com.

Cincinnati Chili

When I lived in Las Vegas and brought friends home for the holidays, we would always go to Skyline Chili. They liked it so much that I had to learn how to make this dish from scratch. It's a great yummy supper for a cold winter night-and a definite hit with kids (they love to customize their chili!)


3 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spaghetti, kidney beans, chopped onion, grated Cheddar, and oyster crackers as traditional accompaniments, if desired

In a large heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are softened, add the beef, and cook the mixture, stirring and breaking up the lumps, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the paprika, the cumin, the coriander, the allspice, the oregano, the cayenne, the cinnamon, the cloves, and the mace and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, the water, the tomato sauce, the vinegar, and the molasses and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beef barely covered, for 2 hours, or until it is thickened but soupy enough to be ladled. Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with salt and pepper. The chili may be frozen or made 4 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Serve the chili as is or in the traditional Cincinnati "five-way" style: Ladle the chili over the spaghetti and top it with the beans, the onion, the Cheddar, and the oyster crackers.

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com by Gourmet Magazine.

Cincinnati Chili

When I lived in Las Vegas and brought friends home for the holidays, we would always go to Skyline Chili. They liked it so much that I had to learn how to make this dish from scratch. It’s a great yummy supper for a cold winter night-and a definite hit with kids (they love to customize their chili!)


3 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spaghetti, kidney beans, chopped onion, grated Cheddar, and oyster crackers as traditional accompaniments, if desired

In a large heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are softened, add the beef, and cook the mixture, stirring and breaking up the lumps, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the paprika, the cumin, the coriander, the allspice, the oregano, the cayenne, the cinnamon, the cloves, and the mace and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, the water, the tomato sauce, the vinegar, and the molasses and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beef barely covered, for 2 hours, or until it is thickened but soupy enough to be ladled. Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with salt and pepper. The chili may be frozen or made 4 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Serve the chili as is or in the traditional Cincinnati “five-way” style: Ladle the chili over the spaghetti and top it with the beans, the onion, the Cheddar, and the oyster crackers.

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com by Gourmet Magazine.

Quick + Easy Ravioli

Tonight I prepared a quick soccer night meal that everyone enjoyed. It took less than ten minutes to prepare and again cost less than $10 for 5 people!

* Purchase a 4 pound bag (family size) of frozen cheese Ravioli and two to three different pasta sauces. Tonight I chose an Alfredo Sauce and a Mini Meatball Marinara.

* The Ravioli I chose (Meijer brand) boiled from frozen in three minutes, while I heated the sauce. I placed the sauces on the table so that everyone could try a bit. I'm thinking Basil Pesto next!

Quick + Easy Ravioli

Tonight I prepared a quick soccer night meal that everyone enjoyed. It took less than ten minutes to prepare and again cost less than $10 for 5 people!

* Purchase a 4 pound bag (family size) of frozen cheese Ravioli and two to three different pasta sauces. Tonight I chose an Alfredo Sauce and a Mini Meatball Marinara.

* The Ravioli I chose (Meijer brand) boiled from frozen in three minutes, while I heated the sauce. I placed the sauces on the table so that everyone could try a bit. I’m thinking Basil Pesto next!

Easy Peppermint Bark

I'm not a super baker. But during the holidays I do indulge my family and friends with an easy peppermint bark recipe. And by easy, I mean easy.

This year I purchased six bags of Nestle White Chocolate chips and five 1" round candy canes (the thick ones-they are usually around 59¢).

First, crush the candy canes. This is a fun job for a little helper! Next, simply heat the white chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat until melted. Take the chocolate off the flame and add the crushed candy. Then pour onto a cookie sheet (or two) and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, you will have peppermint bark!

When the bark is ready, I break it into small pieces (about half the size of a Hershey's candy bar).
Next, I place six to ten pieces in a cello bag (available at any craft store) and tie with a pretty ribbon.

This is a great treat to have around, especially when holiday visitors come by!

Easy Peppermint Bark

I’m not a super baker. But during the holidays I do indulge my family and friends with an easy peppermint bark recipe. And by easy, I mean easy.

This year I purchased six bags of Nestle White Chocolate chips and five 1” round candy canes (the thick ones-they are usually around 59¢).

First, crush the candy canes. This is a fun job for a little helper! Next, simply heat the white chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat until melted. Take the chocolate off the flame and add the crushed candy. Then pour onto a cookie sheet (or two) and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, you will have peppermint bark!

When the bark is ready, I break it into small pieces (about half the size of a Hershey’s candy bar).
Next, I place six to ten pieces in a cello bag (available at any craft store) and tie with a pretty ribbon.

This is a great treat to have around, especially when holiday visitors come by!