Sunday, July 17, 2011

Shishitos and cherry tomatoes over crispy quinoa


As the main bulk of summer vegetables have started to hit the farmers markets, I was introduced to a new pepper treat - the Shishito. Similar to Padron peppers, these small, mild Japanese peppers can be quickly sautéed as a snack. For this recipe I decided to pair them with another summer treat, golden cherry tomatoes, to create a light dinner and flavorful dinner for a hot night.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint Shishito peppers, with tops cut off

  • 1/2 pint golden cherry tomatoes

  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 1 C cooked quinoa

  • 3 T olive oil

  • 1 oz dry jack (or another hard, nutty cheese), grated

  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Step One

I'm not a huge fan of quinoa, so I like to toast it to add texture and bring out the nutty flavor. To do so, heat 2 T olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the quinoa and allow to toast thoroughly on one side for about 5 minutes. Scrape from the pan to mix and toast as much of the rest as possible, stirring occasionally for another 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.


Step Two

In a large sauce pan, heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat. Add the peppers and cook till one side blackens slightly. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and salt to taste.


Step Three

Place the quinoa on a plate and grate cheese and crack pepper on top. Serve the veggies spilling to the side. Try to get all the items in one bite to create the perfect balance of nutty, sweet, and tangy. It's like summer on a fork.



Effort: Easy
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield:
2 servings

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Gourmet, frozen risotto


As a part of my trend to try to make good food accessible to normal people by incorporating convenience foods, I figured I'd have to do a meal that uses frozen food. For those naysayers out there, there is nothing wrong with frozen food. Freezing is a great way to store staple foods, maintaining more of the nutritional value that preserving via canning or drying.

When making recipes, like soups, beans, or even risotto, make double the amount and freeze the leftovers. I like to put mine in two cup plastic containers. They stack well in the freezer and are convenient for portioning. For this recipe, I used the frozen risotto as the base and added a few things to the mix to liven up the flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 2 C frozen risotto (freeze the risotto before adding cheese or other mix ins)

  • 2 T olive oil

  • 2 C mushrooms, sliced (I used porcini mushrooms because they're amazing, but use your favorite)

  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 2 T butter

  • 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Step One

As a side dish, start searing some vegetables. I did some carrots and snow peas. Fresh vegetables taste better than frozen for searing, but in a pinch, use frozen.


Step Two

Defrost the risotto in the microwave. Saute the mushrooms in olive oil and a few dashes of salt over medium heat, stirring frequently. After about 8 minutes, or when the mushrooms are starting to brown on both sides, add in the garlic and butter and saute for a few more minutes.


Step Three

Mix together the reheated risotto and the mushrooms, adding in the cheese. Serve with the vegetables on the side. For fun, add a poached egg on top. If you're more traditional, serve with a slice of chicken.


Effort: Easy
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings