Fennel and Corn Brown Rice Risotto

This makes a great vegetarian main dish or shellfish side (it'd be delicious with prawns, cooked separately, of course). Be sure to get the vegetables well caramelized; this makes the entire risotto deep brown and very flavorful.

You'll need (serves 3-4):

1c brown rice

4c chicken or vegetable broth

1 onion

1 large fennel bulb

1 ear of corn

8 mushrooms

1T olive oil

1T butter

1c vermouth

1/2c parmesan, grated

1/2c sharp cheddar, grated

Finely chop onion.

Melt butter and oil in large heavy skillet. Add onion.

While onion cooks, chop fennel bulb and add that too (reserve fronds). Remove corn from cob and add it as well, with some salt and pepper.

Clean mushrooms and chop them rougly. Once the veggies look golden brown, add mushrooms and cook 5 more minutes. 

Add rice (and more oil if necessary); stir and cook about 1 minute. 

Add vermouth slowly, scraping at the bottom of the pan (you should have a well-browned fond). Let cook until vermouth boils away.

Add broth slowly, stirring almost constantly, adding more when the mixture looks dry. Cook about 1 hour until rice is tender but not mushy.

Stir in cheese and fennel fronds and serve.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb with Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

This was simply delicious, and really very easy to make. The whole thing can come together in about an hour and a half. This recipe and its execution were a team effort, and it turned out beautifully.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb

You'll need:

boneless leg of lamb

1 onion, quartered

1/2 head garlic, minced
3-in piece ginger, peeled & minced
juice of 2-3 limes
1/4c pomegranate molasses
1/4c tamarind paste*
1T cumin
1t cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl:


* If you can't find tamarind paste, just use the tamarind puree with the seeds and break it up with a little hot water, then strain to remove seeds.

Untie the meat and rub it all over with the marinade. Roll it back up and tie it again. Let sit 15 minutes. Pat the outside so it's relatively dry.

Brown the meat on all sides in a heavy pot or pan.

Place the browned meat in a baking pan and pour the leftover marinade on top. Quarter the onion and place it around the meat.

Cook until it looks like this:

(about 1 hour in a 350 degree oven)

Let sit 15 minutes before slicing. When sliced, toss with onions and marinade:

Serve next to risotto:

Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

You'll need:

1 onion, chopped
2c arborio rice
2 stalks spring garlic (also called green garlic), sliced thinly
2T chopped mint
2T olive oil
1/4c vermouth or dry white wine
5c chicken broth

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Saute onion until translucent; add rice and saute, stirring often, until grains are shiny and separated. Crank up the heat and deglaze pan with wine. When wine is absorbed, lower heat to medium-low and start adding broth, a little at a time, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed and risotto is tender and creamy. About 5 minutes before it's done, add the garlic and stir. When done, stir in mint. Serve with more chopped mint and grated parmesan.

We also had some lovely roasted kohlrabi and broccoli...

...and salad...

...and strawberries for dessert!

Thanks to Karen for these gorgeous photos.

Fresh Pea and Shrimp Risotto with Gremolata Carrots

... from The Green Kitchen, next door

Jesse's Birthday Dinner: Alaskan King Crab Legs and Mushroom-Leek Risotto

Waiting for the pictures for this post (which were on Jesse's camera) has delayed almost a week of posting, so I'm going to write this up sans pictures, and add them in when Jesse gets around to giving them to me (hint, hint). He wanted crab and risotto for his birthday, separately. I bought the crab legs precooked at Andronico's and steamed them for a minute just to take the chill off, then served them with hot melted butter. We placed the butter dish on a glass of hot water to keep it hot and melty.


For the risotto, I basically followed this recipe with a few modifications (no truffles, for one). It's astoundingly simple and possibly the most decadent, delicious risotto ever. Three steps:

1. Cut 2 large leeks lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise (you will have thin half-moons). Boil in 1c heavy cream with salt and pepper until cream is thickened and leeks are tender, about 20-30 minutes.

2. Slice 1 onion and a lot of mushrooms; I used a mix of various mushrooms, including porcini, which gave a deep woodsy flavor to the finished dish. Toss the onions and mushrooms with salt, pepper, and 1/4c melted butter, and roast at 400 degrees until browned (about 15 minutes).

3. Make basic risotto: dice 1 onion, saute in butter and oil, stir in 1 1/2c arborio rice and cook until translucent, then deglaze with 1/2c vermouth. Let vermouth boil away, and slowly add hot broth (you'll need about 5c), stirring, until risotto is cooked.


Before serving, combine risotto with leeks and mushrooms and 1/2c grated parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste; serve with more parmesan on the side.

Home sick and it's gross out Lunch

Bulgur risotto:

Melt butter and olive oil in skillet. Saute one large sliced shallot; when translucent, add 1c bulgur, and more butter if necessary. Saute about 5 min, until all the grains are buttered and toasty (make sure they don't clump together). Add about 1/2 c vermouth; when entirely absorbed, start adding chicken broth gradually, stirring. Only add more once it's all absorbed. I soaked some shiitake mushrooms and added the soaking liquid as well.

When risotto is almost cooked, add sliced mushrooms and whatever vegetables you have-- I added some chopped roasted swiss chard stems I cooked yesterday.

Remove from heat and add flaked fake crab, or whatever else you want (I really, really like fake crab. Most people don't.) Add pepper and (if you didn't put crab) grated cheese. Serve.

Quinoa Risotto with leftover chicken

(Quinoa is kosher for passover-- it's a grass, not a grain!)

Heat olive oil and saute 1 small diced onion. When onion is translucent, add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 cup quinoa. Saute, adding more olive oil if necessary, 3 minutes. Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine. When wine is almost absorbed, slowly add 2 cups beef broth, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. When quinoa is cooked (should look sprouted) but still saucy, add 1 grated carrot and lots of thinly sliced shittake mushrooms; stir and cook until mushrooms are done. Add leftover chicken (I used chicken in tarragon cream sauce, recipe by Jacques Pepin), and stir until heated. Turn off heat. Add 3 cups kale, torn into small pieces (I used two different kinds-- any green would work). Add zest and juice from 1 meyer lemon, chopped fresh tarragon, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.