Tomato and Basil Risotto

Recipe from New York Times

7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
Salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound tomatoes, grated
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white
1/2 pound additional sweet ripe tomatoes, finely diced (about ¾ cup)
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 to 2 ounces)

1. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle. Stir in the grated tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and salt to taste and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and coat the rice, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated and been absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice, and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir often and when you do, stir vigorously. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still chewy (al dente), in 20 to 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning.

4. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the additional finely diced tomatoes, basil and Parmesan and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

Roasted Cauliflower with Red Chile, Cilantro & Lime

Recipe from REM Cooks

1 large head cauliflower
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chile powder
1/2 tsp crushed dried red chile
1 tsp cumin seeds toasted and ground
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 325 F. Separate the florets from the cauliflower.  Put them in a bowl with the garlic, chile powder, crushed chile, cumin, salt and olive oil. Toss gently to mix and coat well. Spread the seasoned cauliflower in a roasting pan. Roast 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally. When done, remove from oven. Dress with lime juice. Finish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Quinoa Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

Quinoa:

1 cup red quinoa

2 cups water

Pinch of salt

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

Juice of 1 large lime


3 tablespoons honey


2 tablespoons finely chopped mint

Fruit:

1 1/2 cups blueberries


1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries


1 1/2 cups chopped mango


Extra chopped mint, for garnish-optional

Directions:

1. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature. 

2. To make the Honey Lime Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, and mint together until combined.

3. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Add quinoa, We used 1/3 the amount of quinoa cooked (you can adjust this amount to personal taste). Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Beet and Potato Salad

Recipe from New York Times

Yesterday was 80 degrees––warm enough to make you long for summer...and ribs and potato salad and eating outdoors. That's just what we did. This amazing Beet Potato Salad uses yogurt instead of mayo. The Best-Ever Barbecued Ribs not only lived up to their name, but were ridiculously easy to make.

Avocado and Corn Salsa

Recipe from Epicurious

Outstanding salsa or delicious side dish with tomatoes, sweet corn, jalapeños.lime and cilantro –– perfect for summer. 

Asparagus and Lemon Risotto with Arugula

Recipe from Veggie Belly

The lemon and arugula really make this dish. The recipe also has some great risotto-making tips.

Cumin Seed Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt, Mint and Pomegranate

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

This is so delicious – and I did not even have the mint and pomegranate! The combination of roasted cumin, yogurt and feta make this...well, let's just say, I ate the entire dish myself! Yikes. 

Three-Grain Pilaf with Almonds and Shiitake Mushrooms

Recipe adapted from Union Square Cookbook

1/4 c. wheat berries

1 T. butter

1/4 c. wild rice

1-1/2 c. water

1/4 c. white wine

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. basmati rice

1 c. shiitake mushrooms

1/3 c. coarsely chopped almonds

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Soak wheat berries in water for 1-2 hours. * 

2. Melt half the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add wild rice and wheat berries; stir well to coat grains. Add the water, white wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and gently simmer for 30 minutes. 

3. Stir in basmati rice and return to a simmer. Continue cooking, covered, without further stirring, for 20 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to finish steaming, covered, while you prepare mushrooms and almonds.

4. Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet over high heat and saute the shiitake mushrooms until softened, 3-4 minutes. Toss in almonds and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir in scallions and cooked grains. (You can prepare this mixture ahead of time.)

Serves 4

* I have skipped this step if I did not have time and it was fine. 

Marinated Roasted Peppers with Capers and Mozzarella

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Be sure to use fresh mozzarella and lots of it!  

Black Quinoa with Grilled Vegetables, Basil & Feta

Recipe from Healthy Green Kitchen

This is on my list of recipes to make. Probably delicious hot or cold. You could even oven roast the veggies if you did not feel like grilling. If you make this before I do, please post your comments. 

Simplest Homemade Spaetzle

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

OMG! First buy yourself a Spaetzle Maker, then make this recipe. It is beyond delicious. The recipe was originally from the Balthazar Cookbook so how could you go wrong. 

Butternut Squash Risotto

Recipe from Woman's Day

Easy to make and delicious! In addition to the romano, be sure to add at a healthy tablespoon of butter to finish. In my opinion, that is how all risotto should be finished.