Spur of the Moment Risotto

I was feeling the need to eat something healthy today, so I decided to make a modified risotto. This is the first time I've taken pictures while I was cooking! I'm using the new Pentax Optio A40 that I picked up from Woot.

The finished product:

From The Nayaug Kitchen

It was fantastic - just what I needed.



So, what'd I do?

First, I brought out a deep but small saucepan and set some olive oil and a drizzle of sesame oil to warming. On my old stove in Florida, it would have been medium heat. On this ancient stove in CT, it's on high.

From The Nayaug Kitchen

Then, I grabbed two decent-size shallots and sliced them. I didn't bother dicing them or chopping them into small pieces. I then put the shallots into the pot to saute.

From The Nayaug Kitchen

When the shallots had sauteed for a bit, I started putting in chicken broth. I ultimately used two cans of salt-free Swanson's broth. You can pretty much use anything.

From The Nayaug Kitchen

I put one cup of Jasmine rice into the mixture and started it bubbling away. I added broth when it needed it.

From The Nayaug Kitchen

Toward the end, I added in about 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1 can of peas:

From The Nayaug Kitchen

I then stirred in some Celtic sea salt and ground some Grains of Paradise over the mixture. If I'd had lemon, I would have added it.


And, once again:

From The Nayaug Kitchen

NY Strip Steaks

Dad brought home NY Strip Steaks. I marinated them in balsamic vinegar + olive oil, seasoned with a little Montreal Steak Seasoning. Seared them on high for a few minutes on the first side; seared for a few minutes on the second side; turned the heat down to medium and put a pat of butter on each steak. When the butter was melted, the steaks were done. We like them well-done around here. Perfect - moist, tender, tasty. Oh yeah...

I chopped some shallots and sauteed them with corn. Seasoned the mixture with an Italian spice mix.

Baked potatoes.

'Twas good.

Eggnog Pancakes - Erin Cooks

Eggnog Pancakes - Erin Cooks

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

Truman Capote’s Chicken Hash « The Crepes of Wrath

Truman Capote’s Chicken Hash « The Crepes of Wrath

Pear Gingerbread, Pot Roast Pie & Stromboli

The more I watching cooking videos on YouTube, the more I realize that I could totally do that---

I think I should get me one of those Flip Camera and go for it.

Today I made this upside down pear molasses gingerbread. Freakishly good, if I do say so myself. WOW.

The catch to this recipe is this: Use good ginger. Iffen you use crappy ginger, you will know.

Also, I made a pot roast galette-of-sorts. Last weekend I made a pot roast in a sweet red spiced wine. Carrots, potatoes, the usual suspects. I took the leftovers today and sauteed them up in a pan. Whipped up a batch of biscuit mix (I make mine, but you can use Bisquick) and laid that out in a rectangle on some parchment paper. Spread the pot roast remnants all over and baked in the convection-mode-on oven at 375F for 20 minutes. Outstanding.

Now, I am making a stromboli. The dough is rising. In the meantime, I caramelized onions, roasted peppers, zucchini and carrots. The carrots I chopped into very tiny matchsticks. I added some italian spices. I then took the veggies out of the pot and put them into a bowl. I crumbled 1/2 a block of tomato-basil feta into it. I then took the meat off of two roasted-a-few-days-ago chicken breasts and chopped that up and mixed it in with veggies. Oh baby. I can't wait for the dough to rise a bit.

Actually, it's probably ready now.

Seriously, people. Never poach a chicken breast. In the same amount of time, you can coat the chicken breast with olive oil and spices and bake it on parchment paper in the oven. You get a succulent, moist chicken breast every time. Not some washed out, dried up, tasteless thing that doesn't even taste good when you chop it up. Just say no (to poaching).

For Chocolate Lovers Only: March 2002's Recipe for Seven Layer Liqueur Cake on Star Chefs

For Chocolate Lovers Only: March 2002's Recipe for Seven Layer Liqueur Cake on Star Chefs

Thinking about making this for Thanksgiving.

Maple Cranberry Butter

Made this recipe this morning. Lovely, just lovely. I was concerned that it wasn't thick enough, so on Mom's suggestion I added cornstarch, but I did discover that it thickened nicely on its own once it cooled off. Couldn't find the vanilla, so I didn't include it.

It's a bit too tart for me, and I can't taste the maple. That said, my mother liked it. It has a lovely, balanced flavor for a cranberry-based mixture.

This will be absolutely perfect on toast - or biscuits. I would like to spoon it over some turkey, myself!

Hamburger, Corn & Potatoes...

I didn't grow up calling it Shepherd's Pie. My Mom called it something French when she wasn't calling it "hamburger, corn and potatoes."

Tonight's version:
- browned ground beef, seasoned with a packet of Sazón.
- sweet niblet corn from a can with a green giant on the side
- mashed potatoes

For the mashed potatoes, I cut up some white-skinned generic taters. Left the skins on because my hands don't do the peeling thing. Boiled them.

Then, for seasoning: Kelp flakes w/cayenne. Cumin. Celtic Sea Salt. Ground black pepper. Whole Grain Dijon Mustard. Three chopped scallions. Yum! I like my mashed potatoes with flavor... and my folks don't like garlic, otherwise you'd see garlic in that list.

Preheated the oven to 375F.

Hamburger in the bottom of the casserole.
Corn next.
Mashed potatoes next.

Aluminum foil over all, into the oven for 30 minutes.

The Spam Dagwood

I know that Spam Dagwoods aren't particularly New Englander, but there's nothing that Dad likes better than fried Spam on a hamburger roll piled high with lettuce, tomato and sweet onion.

So, for dinner tonight, I will open up the can of Spam-n-cheese that Dad picked up last week.

There are tomatoes in the fridge; I bought lettuce & Empire onions last Friday. Dad's bringing home hamburger rolls.

Going to slice up some potatoes and make oven fries.

I'll slice up the Spam and sauté it in a frying pan. I may spray the pan in a light coating of oil first, before putting in the Spam.

Going to warm up the sliced rolls in the oven,
Spread a bit o' yellow mustard on them and then start piling.