Creamy Mushroom and Fennel Risotto

At August 5, 2009
By megan
In cream, favorites, fennel, Hazel Dell, Mushrooms, rice, risotto, wine
0

This meal is a masterpiece, so be prepared to spend more than an hour in the kitchen and at least 25 minutes almost constantly stirring the pot. If that sounds like a challenge you are willing to try, please consider making this delicious risotto.

I used shiitake, cremini, and oyster mushrooms from Hazel Dell. If you do not live in the Boulder area, please look into finding a local supplier of mushrooms near you. Once they reach a supermarket they just aren’t the same.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound mixed mushrooms
1 bulb fennel
1 medium sized yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
4 TB butter
4 TB olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups Arborio rice
1 quart veggie broth (chicken broth will work if you are not a vegetarian)
water- 3-4 cups (or more, depending on how long it takes to cook the rice)
5 TB heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper

To make this whole process go more smoothly, prep the mushrooms and fennel first. This way, you will have them cooked and ready to go so they can be added to the risotto when it is almost done. This will make life a lot easier for a dish like this.

First, chop the onion. Cut off the fennel bulb from its stalks, peel apart the layers, wash, and chop into pieces roughly the size of your well-chopped onion.

Next, mince the garlic. Rinse the mushrooms and chop them into a size you like. I prefer smaller pieces, so I made mine small. However, if you are a real mushroom-lover, feel free to use larger pieces.

In a large pot (I used a 6 quart stock pot), add 1 TB butter. Melt the butter on medium-high and add the onion. When they are just getting tender, add the fennel and cook this on medium low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

While you’re working the fennel, start the mushrooms. In a saute pan, heat 1 TB butter and 1 TB olive oil on medium-high. Add the mushrooms and saute a few minutes before adding the white wine. Turn heat down to medium and cook 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, combine the fennel/onions and mushrooms/garlic to be added to the risotto later. Set this aside and take a breath.

Now, to start the risotto-

Pour the broth and 3 cups of water into a large pot. Not the one you may have used for the fennel- you will need two large pots for this major production. 1 for the risotto and 1 to keep boiling hot broth and water ready to be added, ladle-full by ladle-full, into the risotto. Bring the broth to a boil and keep it boiling.

Go back to your 6 quart pot that the fennel was in (but is no longer in because it has been mixed into the mushrooms). Add 2 TB butter and melt on medium high heat. When it melts, add 3 TB olive oil and mix well into the butter. Add the rice and coat with the oil/butter mixture. After a couple minutes, add 2-3 ladles of boiling broth. From now on you will need to stir almost constantly. Keep stirring and adding more broth as the liquid is absorbed. Continue this process for 25 minutes or so. If you need to add more water to the broth because you are running out of liquid, do so. But, be careful. Keep the broth boiling so you always add boiling water to the risotto.

Check the texture of the rice after 25 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fennel mixture and mix well. Keep adding broth and stirring until the rice is tender but just slightly al dente. At this point, turn the heat all the way down to low and add the cream. Stir it in well and then add the grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, and enjoy.

Wild Rice and Veggie Salad

At July 7, 2009
By megan
In cannellini beans, Maple, rainbow chard, rice, zucchini
0

This started out as an experimental chilled salad, and turned out to be a delicious meal. Wild rice is the base, so cook one cup of wild or long grain brown rice (usually 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, boil, simmer 45-50 minutes). Remove the cooked rice from heat and let it sit a few minutes before transferring it to a large bowl.

The rest of the salad ingredients are:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped rainbow chard, separate the stalky parts from the leafy
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 TB cider vinegar
salt
pepper

While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or so, until soft. Add the garlic and cook another 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Pour into a pyrex measuring cup because this will become the base for the dressing. Also, getting the onion and garlic out of the hot pan will help prevent it from continuing to cook in the hot pan.

Put the pan back on the stove and heat the stalky part of the chard for 3 minutes or so on medium high heat. Lower the temp to medium and add the leafy part. Cook until it is wilted. Add this to the large bowl (the one the cooked rice will eventually go in), but strain out the excess liquid first.

Slice the zucchini and squash into thick strips, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and throw on the grill for a few minutes until they are starting to soften but still maintain some crunch. Remove them from the grill and let them cool a few minutes. Then slice them further into bite-sized pieces. Add these to the large bowl.

Add the rinsed cannellini beans to the bowl and mix this well. Then, assemble the dressing.

Add the maple syrup and cider vinegar to the onion, garlic, and olive oil and mix well. Toss the rice, chard, zucchini, squash, and beans with the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with feta cheese and avocado to round out the dish.

Coconut Wild Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 TB sesame oil

Add everything into a pot. Cover. Bring to a boil, stir. Cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff, let sit a few minutes, and serve.