Text 6049, 180 rader
Skriven 2011-01-20 23:24:04 av Janis Kracht (1:261/38)
   Kommentar till text 6040 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
Ärende: rosemary 944
====================
Hi Ruth,

Hope the weather is treating you better than it's treating me up here .. brrrr
(grin)  This weekend is supposed to be worse though for temps, so I better not
complain too much tonight (g)

>> risotto > rice so I'm going to try a sort of take off on it using
>> short grain
>> > brown rice.

>> It should work as long as the rice is short grain, and you cook it in
>> the method used for Risotto, rather than regular rice.

> I've got the short grain brown rice but don't know if I've got the
> patience for cooking rice the risotto way. Too used to my rice cooker.
> (G) I will give it a try, on a day when there's few distractions.

I think any brown rice takes about 45+ minutes, right?  I'm sure short grain
brown rice is no different.  So, yes that would take some time and energy. You
don't have to stir it constantly, but you do have to stir it 'frequently'.
Maybe that might make a difference?  I know that when I'm really tired, I've
been known to ignore it for a while and then come back and add that "next cup"
of broth. :) Hence you might need a touch more broth.. but you don't want to
overcook the risotto either.

>> MOF, I made risotto last night for dinner, with a loaf of garlic
>> bread. I had some beets in the veggie drawer and wanted to use them
>> 'sooner than later' (g). This recipe came our really well :)

>> ==Risotto with Beets==

>> For the beets (fresh, uncooked):
>> 4 large unpeeled beets, scrubbed, stems and root ends trimmed and
>> greens    chopped and reserved for garnish or other purpose)

> Boil the beet tops like other greens (soutern style) or stir fry them.

One could also throw them in the risotto.. I've made beet green risotto
before... I've used them instead of spinach.  These particular beets had
already been 'freed' from their greens.  I used the greens in a recipe with
salmon, fettuchine, and beet greens. That was also great :)  The original
recipe called for spinach, but I always have beet greens in my freezer from the
garden.

>> Preheat the oven to 375F
>> Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with
>> Extra Virgin olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black
>> pepper, and add the garlic cloves. Make a pouch with the tin foil.
>> Roast the beets in the preheated oven until tender, about 45-50
>> minutes. Slip the skins off (careful, they will be really hot (g)).
>> Let cool, then slice and quarter the slices.

> I'll have to try roasting beets in a packet. Last time I did it, they
> were old and didn't do too well on an open sheet. I've got some turnips
> now I'm probably going to roast; think I'll do them in a packet.

I'm so used to throwing garlic in a packet with olive oil and salt and pepper
for garlic mashed potatoes, it just seemed "natural" (g).

>> For the risotto:
>> 2 cups japenese short grain brown rice, or 2 cups regular white aborio
>> rice   [note: The bran on brown arborio doesn't let the starches out

> I've yet to find brown arborio, even in Wegman's last year. Whole Foods
> Market doesn't carry it either; that's why I went with the short grain.

It should be good :)

>> for normal    risotto "creamy texture", and you'll just end up with
>> rice in broth from    what I've heard]

Now I know I once did find that brown arborio at wegmans.. it was in the same
kind of container that the white arborio was in.. haven't seen it since,
though.  When I used it, it did indeed make creamy risotto.. So wonder if it
was truly arborio, or what.

>> 5 cups chicken broth or water
>> 1 cup dry white wine or an additional cup of chicken broth. 1/2 cup
>> freshly grated peccorino cheese 2 tablespoons butter
>> 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped
>> Salt, pepper

>> The cooked beets, dressed with olive oil and garlic above

>> Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large frying pan over very low heat,
>> then add 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Add the onions and cook just until
>> translucent (not browned). Add the Rice and cook 2-3 minutes until
>> coated with the oil. Add the wine if you are using wine, or 1 cup
>> chicken broth.  Cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed.
>> Stir, slowly but continuously. When the liquid is aborbed, repeat with
>> another cup of broth/water and let it absorb as well, until about 4
>> cups of liquid have been added.. Add the beets and cook for about a
>> minute, then add the last cup of broth. Towards the end of the last
>> cup of broth, the rice should be "al dente", not mush (grin). Remove
>> from the heat, and stir in another Tablespoon  butter and Italian
>> cheese, salt and pepper to tastes.  Serve immediatley.

> A lot of standing, stirring. Guess I'll have to get out my stool so I
> can sit and stir.

If I were you, I'd do it like I do.. it may take a bit more liquid than called
for, but I really only stir "frequently" when my legs aren't cooperating. (g)

> BTW, we checked out the Italian deli in the area we'd been meaning to
> try.  Got some locatelli romano and some sweet with fennel, counrty and
> hot Italian sausages. Have tried the first 2 of the sausages--really
> good. They're made on premise. Got to try the other one, with some of
> the cheese. There's also a good NY style deli nearby (got a good write
> up in the paper) we need to try.

That sounds really great :)  It is such a great thing when you find a good
local sausage.  Interestingly, the best one we've found around here is Lupo's..
well except for the local farms sausage.. The flavor of the meat there is
fantastic.. I was going to talk to the owners though about their sausage recipe
(g).  It's really lacking an original Italian flavor.  Lupo's though are known
as 'the' spiedie people around here so it didn't surprise me that their sausage
was about the best :)  The marinade they use for the meats (lamb, pork, beef or
chicken) is available at Wegmans here, which is really nice as well.

The spiedies they make are a bit different than the marinated lamb that Michael
made at the picnic - but of course Michael's was of a different type and still
good :) The spiedies in Binghamton are normally larger chunks of meat (about
2").  Michael's lamb the weekend of the picnic here was a fantastic curry type
dish.

Here's what we ate tonight.. I was really wanting parmesan-"something" for some
reason :)

==Orzo Risotto with Shrimp==
12 large cooked shrimp, about 12oz. see *below 2 cups orzo, uncooked
A good shake of Red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth or phoney chicken broth, see **below :) 2 tablespoons
garlic minced
2 tablespoons finely minced onions
Saffron, I used about a half teaspoon.. it's not the most expensive imported
         type :) If you are using good saffron, about 1/4 teaspoon of threads
         should be right.
1/4 cup white wine or 1 1/2 tablspoons chinese rice wine vinegar and 1 1/2
        tablespoons lemon juice (makes a great wine substitute I think :))
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Italian  parsley
about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan and add the onion cooking until
translucent. Add the red pepper flakes. Soak the saffron in the wine or
rice-wine vinegar/lemon juice while the onion is sauteeing.  Add the saffron
mixture to the onions and butter.  Cook on med. high heat until the liquid is
evaporated. Add the uncooked orzos and stir until the orzos are well coated. I
ended up letting some of the orzos brown, but you don't have to, and it won't
hurt if you do (g). (there goes those tired legs again (g)).

Add the broth, tasting to see if needs more salt.. and cook over med-high heat
until the water is absorbed. Add the shrimp and juices from the pan they were
cooked in, and add the parsley. Remove from the heat and add the parmesan and
the last tablespoon of butter.


*the shrimp.. melt about a tablespoon or two of butter in an smaller frying pan
and add the shrimp.  Turn and cook until the shrimp start to turn orange on
both sides (don't cook them all the way). Remove from the heat.

**The broth:  It seems I can never keep enough chicken broth or bullion cubes
around.. :)  This is what I use when I run out: 2 cups water
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder or granulated onion 2 tablespoons nutrional yeast
flakes (don't even try regular yeast or brewer's yeast.  Crush the nutrional
yeast flakes in your hand as you add it. Good pinch thyme
Good pinch tumeric
salt to taste.. if I don't have garlic powder, I use garlic salt and skip the
salt here.. :)  You can mix the dry ingredients and use about 1 tablepoon per
cup of water.  When I do this, I usually put in the blendar to really grind it.
===


Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-1
 * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)