Barley Risotto

One thing I do quite often at the grocery store is buy something that I've never used before. It really helps me try new things and expand what I make each week. So last week I picked up pearled barley. I've had barely in soups before, but never as a side. So when I googled Barley dishes, I found barely risotto! We all know that I am a huge fan of risotto, so I was excited to make this!

I thought this was a great side dish. In fact, I could definitely eat a big plate of just this for dinner! It took a little longer to make then risotto with arborio, but not by much time. I thought this was very flavorful and delicious. In addition, it's a very hearty dish. This is definitely something I'll be making again and again!

Directions
Adapted from Epicurious, Originally from Bon Appétit , November 1997

4 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese
Directions

Bring chicken stock to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley, thyme, bay leaf, sage and 2 ladles full chicken stock; bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most of stock is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add remaining stock one ladle full at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until barley is tender, about 50 minutes.

Mix in parsley to barley mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I had a mass of butternut squash from my garden this year, which is good because my husband and I just love it. So I've been trying to find new things to do with it that we can enjoy before my harvest is up. And since risotto is another one of our favorite things, I thought this would be perfect.

I cannot even begin to describe how much we both loved this risotto. Not only is it perfect for this time of the years, the flavors are just exceptional. The creamy risotto combined with the smokey bacon and earthiness of the squash is just a combination that cannot be beat. We absolutely loved this recipe and will certainly be making it again and again. Like my husband said last night, "Bacon, squash and risotto. How can this be bad?!"

And posting this amazing recipe today ended up being perfect because today's post is my 200th! I still can't believe I've posted over 200 recipes in less then a year...again I am reminded how glad I am that I started this blog to keep track of my recipes and share with you all some of our favorites!
Ingredients
Adapted from: Ina Garten

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (I used low sodium)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced (I had to use thick cut American bacon since my store didn't carry pancetta)
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I omitted and substituted with chicken stock)
1 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 fresh sage leaves, minced (I added this)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (I completely omitted salt from the risotto because of the bacon and since I salted the squash itself. It was perfectly seasoned without any additional salt). Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes, sage and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Beer and Cheddar Risotto

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I have to admit that I've had the recipe bookmarked for ages now. I knew it would be something my husband would really like but I wasn't too sure about it. I really, really dislike beer, and this called for a whole bottle so I was honestly avoiding making it. But when I couldn't think of another side to make for my Cornish Game Hens, I decided to give this a whirl.

I was honestly very, very pleasantly surprised how this came out. The beer added flavor without being overwhelming. The cheddar made it wonderfully cheesy with a fantastic bite (I used very sharp cheddar!). This was probably the most flavorful risotto I've made to date, and all of the flavors, textures, etc. worked perfectly together. This was a fabulous recipe that I will most certainly be making again!

Ingredients
Adapted From Cooking This and That
Originally from FayeD on the What's Cooking board on the Nest

1/2 small onion, diced (I used 1 onion)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2+ tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
12 oz. bottle of beer (preferably not light beer) (I used Michelob Ultra which is light and it was totally fine!)
49.5 ounce can of chicken broth
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted)

Directions

Pour chicken broth into medium saucepan. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat just until butter is melted. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until opaque, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice.

Pour in beer, turn heat up to high until it starts to simmer.

Turn heat back to medium-low and add the chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid dissolves. You may not need to use all of the chicken broth - risotto should be creamy and just slightly al dente. This should take 30 minutes or more.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and cayenne pepper.

Fried Risotto Cakes

I've seen this concept done quite a bit on the food network and even on other food blogs, but I'd don't make risotto that often so I haven't had the chance to try it yet. However I did make risotto this past weekend and had some leftovers so I thought it would be fun to try! I didn't use a recipe since I've seen it done on the food network and it's basically just breading and frying! But I will share how I did it!

These were really great! Like my husband said, they aren't something that you'd want every night but they certainly were a nice treat to have every so often. I totally agree with him. The whole cake itself is on the heavy/rich side, which is why I don't think you'd want it every night. But it certainly was a nice treat and a perfect way to use your leftover risotto!

Ingredients

Leftover cooked risotto, chilled in the refrigerator overnight
aprox. 1/2 cup flour*
1 egg white*
splash of skim milk*
aprox. 3/4 cup Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs*
Extra Virgin Olive Oil*

* All measurements are approximate because the amount you will need depends on how much leftover risotto you have!

Directions
Create a "breading" station; place flour on one plate, Panko on another and whisk together the egg white and milk in a small bowl. Create small "cakes" out of your risotto and coat with flour, then dredge in egg white mixture then lightly press into Panko, making sure there is a complete coating. Repeat with all cakes.

In a small - medium skillet, add enough Olive Oil to completely coat the bottom. Heat the oil on medium-medium high heat and when the oil is hot add about 3 cakes to the skillet. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip the cake with a spatula and cook on the other side for another 3-5 minutes. Repreat entire process with remaining cakes, if you have any. Place cooked cakes on a paper-towl lined plate and serve immediately.

Parmesan Risotto

I've recently discovered how much I love making risotto. I always thought it was something that your order out, not make at home. But I got daring one night and now it's my new favorite side dish to make because A) It's easy and B) It's just plain delicious!

I found this recipe from the Pioneer Woman's website and adapted this risotto from that one. Here is my take:

Ingredients

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp butter

2 Cups Arborio Rice

6 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock, warm

1/2 Cup White Wine, heated

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1 very small onion, chopped

1/2 - 1 cup half and half

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions

Melt butter and Olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add Garlic and Onions. Cook 2-4 minutes until Onion is translucent. Add Arborio Rice and stir until coated with olive oil. Add warm wine into rice mixture until absorbed. In a seperate medium saucepan next to your risotto sauce pan, add Chicken Stock and heat through. Now add 1 ladle of chicken stock. When one ladle has been absorbed, add the next. (You can also add the chicken stock in 1-cup incraments but I find that just using a ladle works best for me.) Keep stirring! You can walk away from the stove, but not for too long. You don't want the rice to burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. This process should take about 30 minutes and you want to constantly be stirring your risotto.

When all chicken stock has been absorbed, add your half and half and keep stirring until thickened. Then, add your salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Serve with some chives and enjoy!

Roasted Chicken with Risotto & Carmelized Onions

Adapted from http://www.allrecipes.com/

This was my 1st attempt at Risotto and I'm pleased to say it came out very good! It was a bit time consuming, but I was prepared for that. I had orignally planned on following the recipe exactly, so I put my Chicken in the oven early so then i could just chop it up and put it in with the risotto. However, when my husband got home he said he'd rather have the chicken on the side. So i had to re-heat my chicken which made it a little dry but really it was fine. I just roasted 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with some olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.

The risotto itself was great. The balsamic and carmelized onions added a lot of unique flavor. I also added a lot of freshly grated parmesean cheese right before serving because I just love it! I also served it with a side of French bread drizzeled with olive oil, salt and pepper.

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
7 cups hot chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Parmesean

DIRECTIONS
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are a dark golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the rice and mix well. Let heat for about 2 minutes, then pour in the wine. Reduce heat to medium low and start pouring in the broth about 1 cup at a time. Add more broth as each cup is absorbed. Continue in this manner until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the reserved onion mixture and allow to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish each serving with fresh thyme & Freshly grated Parmesean Cheese.