Rainy Day Risotto

Maybe this cheerful spring risotto will warm you as the rains continue to fall from the skies. Ugh! Four days now.. raw, wet & windy. I think I just saw my poor bean seedlings float on by :( I'm suppose to be wrapping soaps for Farmers Market tomorrow, but instead I just put on a big pot of sauce (yeah, I know it isn't Sunday yet..but I'm cold!) and planning to have a big bowl of cavatelli & hot sausage for dinner tonite. Stay warm! ;)



P.S. I made this edamame & violet risotto last week on a gorgeous sunny day.

for a printable recipe, click here

Rainy Day Risotto


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup diced sweet peppers
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable, kept warm
1 1/2 cups shelled edamame
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Method:

1. Heath the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers--cook for five minutes.

2. Add the rice and cook, stirring until transluscent. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed.

3. Stir in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally. Wait until each addition of broth is absorbed before adding the next. It should take about 25 minutes for all the broth to be absorbed.

4. When the rice is tender, remove from heat and stir in the edamame,cilantro, and top with fresh violet buds and Parmesan cheese, Season with sea salt & ground pepper. Enjoy!

Tikka Masala

With the warmer days, the kickoff of grilling season begins again. So over the gorgeous Memorial Day weekend I made this meal.. tikka masala. Chicken Tikka Masala is a delicious dish which pre-marinated pieces of chicken are grilled and then added to a thick creamy gravy. The result is a lovely warm and smokey flavor. I served it over a bed of jasmine rice as I was all out of basmati, plenty of chopped cilantro along with triangles of syrian bread. If you grill as much as we do here, this is a very easy recipe that may be may ahead. Don't omit the marinade sauce..it really adds a lot to this warming dish. I originally had this dish at a friends barbecue, where she served shrimp instead of chicken. Both are equally delicious in this wonderful sauce mixture.

Prepare the chicken

3 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Sprinkle seasonings over chicken breasts--cover in wrap & refrigerate 30 minutes.

Dip/Marinade

1 cup whole yogurt
1 TBLS fresh ginger, diced fine
2 TBLS garlic cloves, minced
2 TBLS vegetable oil

Mix well and set aside until chicken is ready to be cooked. Once readied, dip chicken breasts into yogurt mixture. Once coated, toss them on the grill, basting each side until chicken is cooked and sauce mixture is gone. Allow chicken to rest once grilled and slice into 1 inch slices and then turn and cube into 1 inch pieces.
Set aside and prepare the masala sauce.

Prepare Masala Sauce


3 TBLS vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and diced fine
1 TBLS tomato paste
1 TBLS Garam Masala -*an Indian warm mixture of spices
1 cerano chili-minced

Saute onion, garlic and ginger in vegetable oil for 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, garam masala & chili and cook 4-5 minutes longer.
Then add:
28 oz crushed tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt

Cover and continue cooking another five minutes or so. Lower the heat and stir into the red sauce 2/3 cup light cream. Once blended in, add the cooked,cubed chicken pieces just long enough to blend in. No need to cook any longer. Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and serve over warm rice. Enjoy!