Good Noms Valentine's 1: Risotto

This is part one of a three part series that encompasses the meal that Tu made for me on Valentine's day. This meal has rekindled in me a fiery burning passion ... for beets. I seriously love beets. I guess Tu isn't bad, either.

So, Risotto.

• 2 cups arborio rice
• 8 oz mushrooms of your choice (shiitake)
• 3-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 oz grated parmesan
• dried parsley
  
• 1 oz Grey Goose*

Clean and cut the mushrooms. Sautee them in a small amount of the oil. Set aside. In a thick bottomed (heh) pot, put the rice into the oil on medium heat. Give a stir to coat. When it becomes glossy and transparent and you start to hear sizzle, you will first add the vodka**, then begin adding the broth. You will add half a cup at a time and wait until mostly absorbed to add the next half cup, stirring constantly. This will take about a half hour. Have fun.

When you are on your last half-cup of broth, throw in your sauteed mushrooms and parsley. When the last half cup is absorbed, add the cream and turn off the heat. Stir in the grated cheese. Let rest a bit to thicken. You now might be as good a risotto maker as old Italian ladies. For everyone's best, though, don't challenge them. Feel free to speak with an appropriate accent for the rest of the day.

For complete meal ideas, tune in next week.

*Typically you should use white wine. Tu thinks that since the dish is grains, and the grape (wine) is a berry, it doesn't go well together. Vodka, however, is made from grains/root vegetables, so makes more sense. If you'd rather use wine, it's about 4 oz.

**If you are using wine, add it in-between your stock portions in increments

Barley Risotto!

I am on what my man calls a "health bender", due to an alarming doctor's appointment in which my weight was revealed as, shall we say, less than ideal. And by less than ideal, I mean that I have become a fatty. So today's recipe is a lovely HEALTHY recipe, one (surprisingly) without butter.

If you have never had barley, you're really missing out! It's so chewy and lovely, and this recipe is full of lemon zest for a nice summery flavor in icky January.

Ingredients:

2 cups pearled barley
4 cups chicken broth (please use low-sodium if you get store-bought)
1/4 cup dry sherry or a little shy of 1 cup dry white wine
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/8 tsp each of ginger and black pepper
1 tsp each of dried parsley and chives
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup parmesan
walnuts for garnish
water

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and lemon zest until the onion is on its way to getting soft.

Step 2: Add in the barley and stir constantly for a few minutes. Then put your sherry in a measuring 1 cup measure. Add the lemon juice, and top off with water. If you are using wine, put the lemon juice in the measure and top off with wine. Add this to the barley and stir occasionally until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. This is the part of the process that smells the most delicious!

I wish you could smell this through the screen, because it is AMAZING

Step 3: Now, add one cup of broth, and allow to absorb before adding another cup, and so on. Then add two cups of water in the same fashion. The barley will be plump and chewy; if not, add a little more water and see how it feels.

Step 4: Remove from heat, stir in the dairy, and serve, garnished with nuts.