Beet and Cheese Risotto

I made this risotto for dinner last night with the kids, who stood beside me on their stools, enthralled with the pinkness of the beets and how quickly the rice turned red. Whether they liked it for the taste or because of their role in stirring the risotto, they licked their plates clean (Margot's hand in the picture at left).


INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

1 medium beet, peeled and quartered
2 cups loosely packed beet greens, stems trimmed
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup arborio rice
8 ounces shredded cheese (2 cups) - - we used the shredded Mozarella and Provolone we had in the fridge, but I'm sure anything from Cheddar to Parmesan works
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

PREPARATION:

Place the beet in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the beet greens and pulse until finely chopped.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and vegetable broth to a simmer. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the beets and beet greens and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth to the large saucepan, 1 cup at a time, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the liquid is nearly absorbed between additions, 20 minutes. Add the cheese; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the risotto is creamy and thick, 3 minutes longer.

The recipe comes from Food and Wine and was apparently developed by a 6 year old... that's a lot of culinary wisdom at a young age!

Provencal Tomato Soup with Rice

Great soup. So good I didn't get around to taking a picture before it was all gone ;-)

INGREDIENTS (serves 4):

2 lb tomatoes
1 onion, halved and then then sliced thinly
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
1 celery rib, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups of liquid (combination of chicken broth, water...)
pinch of crumbled saffron threads
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup long-grain white rice

PREPARATION:

Blanch tomatoes (with a shallow X cut into skin using sharp paring knife) in boiling water for 10 seconds, transferring with a slotted spoon to a owl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Peel tomatoes, then halve crosswise. Squeeze halves gently, cut sides down, over a sieve set over a bowl to extract seeds and juices, then press on seeds and discard them. Reserve juice and tomatoes.

Cook onions, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in oil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with reserved juice, tomato paste, water and broth, salt and pepper, saffron and sugar, then simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in rice and simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and add salt and sugar to taste.

Corn and Tomato Gratin

Back to school means back to structured meal planning... so I'm back to some serious cooking on weekends. This is a delicious gratin that tastes more like a succulent bread pudding. Everyone asked for seconds and Margot even requested more tomatoes!

INGREDIENTS (serves 6 to 8):

1 1/2 lb red or yellow tomatoes, cut crosswize into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 5 to 6 ears)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a day-old baguette, including crust)
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

PREPARATION:

Arrange tomato slices in 1 layer on a rack set in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let drain 30 minutes. While tomatoes drain, bring corn, milk, cream, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly, uncovered.

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 375F. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Toss together bread crumbs, basil, and cheese in another bowl.

Arrange one third of tomato slices in baking dish, then cover evenly with one third of bread-crumb mixture. Spoon half of corn mixture over crumbs, then repeat layering with half of remaining tomatoes, crumbs, and all of corn. Arrange remaining tomatoes over corn, then top with remaining brad crumbs and dot with remaining butter.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and gratin is bubbling all over, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack, about 15 minutes, before serving.

The recipe comes from the September 2006 edition of Gourmet magazine.

Lentil and Bulgur Salad with Curried Onions and Bell Peppers

I wasn't kidding about making new salads! The kids like lentil stew in the winter, so I thought I would make this as a summer side. It's a middle-eastern recipe of which I'd seen different versions, and I ended up adopting different steps from each of the recipes! It turned out very good, so I thought you might like it too. I'd better warn you though that although it isn't very labor intensive, it took me almost an hour to get everything cooked as it needed to be.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6):

1 1/2 cup French green lentils, picked through and rinsed
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup of vegetable oil for frying
1 or 2 big yellow onions, quartered and sliced thin (depends on your taste for onions... I only put one in since we were sharing it with the kids)
2 red or yellow bell peppers, julienned
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Place the lentils and 5 cups of cold water in a big saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 18 to 20 minutes, until lentils are tender but not quite done. The best way to test lentils is to bite into one. You'll know if it needs more time: it will be hard and taste chalky.

Add the bulgur wheat and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit until the bulgur is tender and the water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes, adding more water if the wheat seems dry; or draining if you have excess water once the bulgur is done.

While the lentils simmer, heat the vegetable oil in a high-sided saute pan over high heat until a single onion piece placed in the oil sizzles. If the oil gets so hot that it's smoking, take the pan off the heat until the oil cools slightly.

Place the onions in the oil, being careful as oil may splatter. Fry the onions until they are translucid (it took me a good 20 minutes). Add the peppers and the spices, stirring them occasionally with a metal spatula, until the onions become golden brown ( another good 20 minutes).

Remove the onions and peppers with a slotted spatula, hold them over the oil for a few seconds to drain, then toss them directly onto the grains. Don't worry about draining every drop of oil, the oil will add needed moisture to the salad. I actually ended up adding a spoonful of the spice-infused oil to the salad along with the onions.

Taste the salad to see if it needs more of anything, particularly salt. You can sprinkle with chopped parsley. You can serve hot or at room temperature.

Couscous Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Hi! The kids are back from their month-long vacation in France with their grandparents. I'm excited to have them back, but it means the pressure is on again to crank out meals as fast as they eat them. I'm trying to make more summer-y meals, but they don't really like raw vegetables, so I'm trying a few couscous or lentil-based salads. And I dice all the vegetables finely so as not to have to deal with any grumblings.

Preparing this salad takes a bit of time, but it isn't as complicated as it sounds. Just think of it as three successive waves of vegetable chopping and roasting in the oven. It comes from the Once Upon A Tart book of recipes.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8):

1 1/2 cups couscous
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small or 1/2 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 zucchini, diced fine
1 yellow squash, diced fine
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 red onion, diced fine
1/3 cup balsamic vegar
10 marinated sun-dried tomates, diced fine
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Combine the couscous and currants/raisins in a bowl big enough to hold the whole salad. Pour the boiling water mixed with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the couscous. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the couscous rest until it has absorbed the couscous with a fork or your fingers.

Put the eggplant in a colander placed in the sink. Sprinkle the eggplant with a thin coat of salt, and toss it to distribute the salt to all sides of the eggplant. Let the eggplant rest for at least 20 minutes to "sweat" the bitterness out.

Toss the zucchini and yellow squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a sprinkling of salt (1/4 teaspoon), a few twists of freshly ground black pepper, and one-third of the garlic. Spread the zucchini and squash out on a sheet pan, place the plan in the oven, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, approximately 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the zucchini and squash, because you don't want them to fall apart when you toss them with the couscous. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and use a metal spatula to scrape the zucchini and squash (along with the pan bits and juices) off the pan and into the bowl with the fluffed couscous.

While the zucchini and squash are roasting, toss the diced pepper and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt (1/4 teaspoon) and pepper, and one-third of the minced garlic. When the squash is done, repeat the roasting instructions with the red pepper and onion, roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges start to blacken.

Repeat with the eggplant and remaining oil and garlic, but without any additional salt (I even rinced off the eggplant and patted it dry to remove any excess salt from sweating the eggplant). Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the undersides of the eggplant brown and the insides feel soft and creamy. Add to the bowl of couscous and roasted vegetables.

Add the vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, and gently toss the couscous with a big spoon or with your hands. Do your best to avoid breaking the vegetables.

Asparagi al Forno

Devine! I almost ate the whole plate myself.

1 1/2 lbs asparagus
1/2 c olive oil, separated
1/2 tbsp sea salt or other coarse salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp capers
1 egg, boiled with the white and yolk separated and chopped
1 scallion, sliced thinly

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Remove the tough/woody ends of the asparagus, then toss the remaining stalks with sea salt and 1/4c. of the olive oil. Spread the asparagus on a baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes. While the asparagus is roasting combine the remaining 1/4c. olive oil, vinegar, capers, egg white, and scallion with a whisk. Remove the asparagus from the oven, place it on serving plate, pour the vinaigrette over, and sprinkle it with the chopped yolk. Serve warm.

Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

I made this for a dinner party the other night and it was so great for both kids and adults. Full of fresh ingredients, it's a perfect summer pasta dish! Not a cheap dish, but worth it for the flavors and healthy ingredients.

NOTE: I tried substituting chopped sausage without the skin and it was so good and easier than making the meatballs!

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup grated Romano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, hot
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces bocconcini mozzarella, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup, Romano cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the chicken and gently stir to combine.

Using a melon baller (or a teaspoon measure), form the chicken mixture into 3/4-inch pieces. With damp hands, roll the chicken pieces into mini meatballs.

In a large (14-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes are soft and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and add the Parmesan. Toss to lightly coat orecchiette, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Add the meatball mixture, mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the basil. Gently toss to combine. Garnish with the chopped basil.