Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

Oh risotto, how you have captured my heart.  Now that I've tried my hand at a few, I am truly addicted.  Despite the cook time, risotto's adaptability to different flavor combinations keeps me coming back.  And roasted red pepper?  Yes please!


adapted from Bev's recipe at bevcooks.com

should serve 4

The Ingredients:
2 medium red bell peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper







 
The Process:
Pre-heat the broiler.   Place the peppers on a rimmed baking sheet and broil the peppers until the skin is charred and blackened all over, turning the peppers as you go, about 12-15 minutes.
Remove the peppers from oven and place them into a sealable plastic bag. Seal and let the peppers steam  for 10 to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel off the skins and remove the seeds and stem. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
 
In a medium sauce pan, heat the chicken stock to a gentle simmer.  Keep warm.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil.  Add the onions and saute over medium high heat until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat evenly.

Slowly pour in the white wine.  Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously.  Once the wine has been absorbed, add the warm stock, one ladle full at a time, allowing each addition to be fully absorbed before adding the next.  Patience is key.  Stir gently and continuously. 

After the last ladle of stock has been absorbed, at the rice is creamy in texture and slightly al dente, add the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the pureed pepper sauce and allow to simmer until the risotto has thickened.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the risotto from the heat..  Cover and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. 

The Review:
Risotto: Labor or love.  But or so worth it every time.  Two red peppers yielded almost 1 cup of puree after a whirl in the blender.  As a result the risotto was a little soupy right after adding the red pepper.  A little more time on the stove to  allow the liquid to absorb into the rice helped.  As did a few minutes that the risotto was allowed to rest off of the heat.  


Oh, but the flavor...sweet, rich, deep.  Such a beautiful orang-ish red hue.  So many variations to try, and yet this may turn into the go-to recipe for a special dish.

Red Peppers Stuffed with Curried Quinoa

I believe quinoa and I have finally formed a lasting friendship.  The super-grain fascinated me.  I really wanted to like it, but something about its tiny and compact healthfulness intimidated me.  I felt it needed to be treated uniquely.

It took a while to overcome that.  I have since discovered that quinoa really wants to be treated like any number of other pantry staples.  As I think of it more like rice or couscous or even as oatmeal, the ideas begin to flow. 

Stuffed peppers are a wonderful step in the right direction.  If you are still hesitant to try quinoa, rice can be substituted.  Remember to adjust you water and cooking times accordingly.

adapted from Roni's recipe at Green Lite Bites

serves 4 as a side or 2 as an entree

The Ingredients:
2 medium red peppers (or color of you choice)
1 1/2 tsp olive or grapeseed oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup quinoa
3/4 cup water or vegetable stock
2-3 cups spinach, slightly torn

The Process:
preheat the oven to 375

Heat the oil in a 1-qt saucepan over medium-heat.  Add the garlic, onion and carrots and saute until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7-10 minutes.  Add the spices and saute a minute or two more, stirring to completely coat the vegetables.  Add the water and quinoa.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until most of the moisture is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

While the quinoa cooks, prepare the peppers by slicing in half lengthwise through the stem.  Remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers, leaving the stems intact.  Place pepper halves cut side up in a lightly oiled 9 x 9 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle each half with a pinch of salt.  Set aside.

Fluff up the quinoa and add the torn spinach to the saucepan.  Stir until the spinach begins to wilt and is well distributed through the quinoa mixture.

Spoon the quinoa into the pepper halves, mounding slightly.  Bake, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, or until the pepper is tender.  Serve hot.

The Review:
The golden piles of fluffy, spicy quinoa served up in their own edible bowl create and elegant meal even vegans and vegetarians can fully appreciate!  I am not the biggest fan of turmeric's slightly metallic taste, so I had opted swap out some of Roni's suggested spice for garam masala, ginger and garlic.  The resulting flavor is much more layered and complex.  But if curry powder is the most exotic spice in you cabinet, go nuts!  There in lies the true beauty of this dish.  It'd needed be an  Indian(-ish) entree.  Add some tomato paste and Italian seasonings.  Or maybe cumin and chili powder for a little something Tex-Mex.  These are the recipes that quickly become staples in out household!

Chicken Skewers with Tarragon-Pistachio Pesto

Fall has arrived. The days grow shorter and the evenings become chillier. What more reason do you need to uncover the grill for one last hurrah as summer slips away? This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time and cook with friends, huddled over the warm grill, beer in hand. We have the friends and beer part down. Now we just need to work on the grill part. In a pinch, a broiler works just as well.

adapted from "Weeknight Cooking" Bon Appetit, April 2011

serves 4

The Ingredients:
pesto
1/2 to 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2-3 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
2-3 Tbsp unsalted pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oilskewers
8 large chicken tenders (about 1 to 1 1/3 lbs)
1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch wedges
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
8 lemon slices, halved
salt and pepper to taste
The Process:
for the pesto
In a blender or food processor, combine the first 5 ingredients and finely chop. Slowly add the olive oil and blend until a coarse paste. Mix in 2 Tbsp water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to use.

for the skewers:
Heat a grill or broiler. On metal or bamboo skewers (soak the bamboo in water at least 10 minutes prior to using to prevent burning), thread 1 piece of onion, 1 piece of pepper, 1 slice of lemon, 1 chicken tender (lengthwise), followed by an addition piece of onion, pepper and lemon. Brush with olive oil and tarragon-pistachio pesto. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and vegetables lightly charred, about 6-8 minutes per side. Serve with remaining pesto.

The Review:
We had a guinea pig, errr, guest for dinner this evening so this incredibly fast and simple, yet elegant looking dinner fit the bill. The flavors of the pesto are fresh and provide a nice change of pace from the traditional basil/parsley concoction. The combination of tarragon and pistachio was a bigger success thanmy hazelnut pesto a few months back. I'll be stashing this recipe to toss with pasta or spread on crostini in the future.

The chicken was tasty, tender and fairly neutral foil to the charred veggies and pesto. Overall the entire meal was light, fresh and filling. And offered a perfect reason to heat up the coals on a chilly September evening.

Leek Roulade with Ricotta, Red Pepper and Walnut Filling

Roulade. Rolled foods. A few months ago the challenge of filling and carefully rolling a cake, a pork loin or a souffle-like shell would have been far too daunting. They seems so elegant--and by default--beyond my skills.

How wrong I was. This particular recipe is as elegant as it is light. And proof yet again that vegetarian dishes needn't be boring.

It is another time consuming treat, but I found it easy enough to multitask--roasting the peppers while I prepped the roulade, mixing the filling while the roulade baked and the like.

For the more visually inclined, this video provides the same recipe:


adapted from Main Courses 365 edited by Jenni Fleetwood

serve 6-8

The Ingredients:
Roulade
butter or oil, for greasing
2 Tbsp fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 cup butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, separated, plus 1 egg white
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
salt and pepper to taste

Filling
2 large red peppers
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
scant 1 cup chopped walnuts
4 spring onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil
The Process:
Preheat the oven to 375

Grease and line a 12 x 9 jelly roll pan with baking parchment, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and 2 Tbsp of the grated Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a pan and cook the leeks for 5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in milk. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to make a thick sauce.

Stir in the mustard and nutmeg and season well with salt and pepper. Reserve 2-3 Tbsp of the remaining Parmesan, then stir the rest into the sauce. Cool slightly.

Beat the egg yolks in the sauce. In a scrupulously clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. Stir 2-3 spoonfuls of the egg white into the leek mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining egg white.

Pour the mixture into the tin and gently level it out with a spatula. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until risen and just firm to a light touch in the center. If the roulade is to be served hot, increase the oven temperature to 400 after removing the roulade.

Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Halve and seed the peppers then broil them skin sides uppermost until black. Place in a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Peel and cut into strips.

Beat the ricotta with the walnuts and spring onions. Chop half of the basil and beat it into the mixture. Season to taste.

Place a large sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Turn out the roulade on to it. Strip off the lining paper and allow to cool slightly. Spread the cheese mixture over it and top with the red pepper strips. Tear the remaining basil leaves and sprinkle them over the top.

Using the parchment paper as a guide, roll up the roulade and roll it on to a serving platter. If serving hot, roll the roulade on to a baking sheet. Cover with a tent of foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

My Modifications:
These weren't modifications so much as errors I caught after the fact. Had I caught them sooner I may not have run into the dryness issue I had with the final product...

First, my pan was not a jelly roll...but not to worry. Any baking sheet with a bit of a lip should work just fine. The roulade doesn't raise to terribly high as it bakes. However, my pan was closer to 16x11, resulting in a much thinner layer that needed far less time to bake.

Second, I forgot to tent foil over the filled roulade during its second foray into the oven. The layers still heated through beautifully, however the out-most crust dried out slightly and began to crackle along the surface.

The Review:
I know I've had a success when my husband goes back for seconds...especially if the dish had nary a trace of meat or potatoes. However, a dear foodie friend and classmate recently shared a secret on her own blog, Good Graces. The same holds true to husbands...they will eat what you offer them...

The roulade was light, if a little dry. But the filling made up for what the crust suffered. The ricotta was piping hot and creamy. The red pepper smokey and sweet. The walnuts earthy and, well, nutty. The fresh basil was perhaps a touch overpowering at times...infusing an almost licorice like flavor.

For a dish so light we found it incredibly filling. Little needs accompany this to round out a meal. Perhaps a small salad of arugula or frisse...or a chunk of crusty bread dipped in oil. Ideal for a dinner. Impressive for company. Holding its own at room temperature for a holiday buffet. A bit time consuming for everyday cooking, but a treat when you have time to appreciate the journey.