Archive for the ‘Entree’ Category
Butternut Squash Risotto
t says: I never order risotto at restaurants. Why? Well, I guess it’s because when I was growing up, rice was always white and plain (just how I like it). I have come to find there is actually a lot of flavor in plain white rice if cooked correctly, but that’s for another post another time. The thought of “Italian rice” made with wine and broths, featuring other flavors like squashes, mushrooms, or meats always struck me as peculiar. And, to be quite honest, whenever I tasted someone else’s at a restaurant, it had always failed to taste more-than-good. I then watched an episode of Hell’s Kitchen (which is rare as it’s far from my favorite food-related show) where Gordon kept screaming about the poor quality of a cheftestant’s seafood risotto. I figured, “well, if he’s that upset, then it should be easy to make, right?”.
For my first ever attempt, I opted for a butternut squash risotto, as I had seen several renditions of this recipe throughout foodnetwork. The following was adapted from Ina’s and Giada’s recipes. The end result was pretty good; g and I would happily eat it again. I’d normally be more critical of my (or any) dishes, but I don’t have a decent measuring stick – I guess I should try out more risottos in restaurants now!
Ingredients:
__ 1 butternut squash (~2 lbs)
__ 2 Tbs olive oil
__ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
__ 6 c chicken stock (we used Kitchen Basics “Unsalted”)
__ 5 Tbs unsalted butter (<0.75 stick) + more if needed
__ 2-3 links of Italian sausage, casing removed
__ 0.5 c minced shallots (2 large) (we forgot to buy these, so we used an onion)
__ 1.5 c Arborio rice (~10 oz)
__ 0.5 c dry white wine (we used Sauvignon Blanc)
__ 1 tsp saffron threads (saffron’s pricey, so we omitted it – but it would be an interesting addition!)
__ 1 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
__ 1 vanilla bean (or 2 drops extract)
__ 2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
Methods:
0) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
1) Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 0.75-inch cubes. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes (tossing once, halfway through). Squash should be very tender. Set aside.
2) Combine chicken broth and vanilla in saucepan. Heat to a very low simmer.
3) In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (we lack one of these, so we used a standard 4 quart pot – worked fine) over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the sausage (it’ll crumble) and shallots/onions on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots/onions are translucent but not browned.
4) Add the rice to the onions/meat, and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 0.75 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. You may have to lower the heat – you don’t want a vigorous boil for this or the following steps, rather, a playful simmer.
5) Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time and cooking/stirring until the mixture seems a little dry before adding more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente (as the whole point of using Arborio rice is to retain some bitey texture), about 30 minutes total
6) Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and the Parm-Reg. Add more butter, cheese, or salt/pepper if needed (I think I added a little pepper). Mix well. Sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately. Leftovers aren’t as good in terms of texture, as the rice gets a little mushier in the microwave, but the flavors are still quite tasty (we ate it)!
g says: The leftovers of this risotto are delicious — don’t let t scare you!
Turkey Meatballs
g says: Homemade meatballs are my thing. They are one of my favorites to make for friends, and I think I like eating them more than any other meat dish. Growing up (and still now) everyone in my parents’ house — especially dad– would hover around the kitchen as mom neared completion of her meatballs, for we all knew that we were in for a special treat to snack on. As soon as those balls hit the pot of tomato gravy and mom turned her back, they were up for grabs — and you needed to be ready to pounce, bread in hand to soak up your extra sauce, or else. I am still tickled by this ritual, and am glad that it has caught on in our home (t loves to be the meatball taste-tester).
I learned the age-old technique of mixing together foods that are potentially hazardous when raw, but taste like heaven when properly combined and cooked, from my mom (who, despite her protests, is indeed a great Italian cook). There is nothing more satisfying than being able to use my hands to mix together a multitude of textures in a bowl, sniff the mixture every now and then to make sure all ingredients are in proper ratio, and have results I can be proud of, every time. I am sure there are some secrets to great meatballs — some say a teaspoon of sugar, some swear by their brand of bread crumbs (I do) — but I think it’s all about the proportion in which the ingredients are combined to achieve the salty, cheesy, peppery, fresh scent of a good meatball mix (can’t really say taste, as raw meats and eggs are involved, so it’s all up to the nose). And I have quite the schnoz, thanks to my dad and gran, two of the greatest smellers of our time, who have passed the talent on to me. You can ask t — my nose knows.
On Friday, we are planning to host a godfather party — friends will gather at our apartment to feast on spaghetti and meatballs, biscotti, maybe some cannoli, and watch The Godfather. It should make for a great time, and as the token Italian of our group of friends, I am of course in charge of preparing the meatballs. The only catch is, not all of our guests eat red meat. So, I decided to get creative with my traditional meatball recipe (which is an adaptation combining both mom’s and aunt beabea’s recipes). Today I tried using ground turkey in lieu of beef, and added some ricotta cheese for smoothness after tasting some veal ricotta meatballs at craftbar in nyc. The results were truly delectable, and I may have to add this recipe to my personal repertoire permanently.
I’ll turn it over to t, as he insists on formatting the recipes his way.
t says: Here’s the recipe. It tastes better every time g makes it …
Ingredients:
__ 3 lbs ground turkey (85% lean)
__ 1 egg
__ ~1 c Progresso brand “Italian Style” bread crumbs (but you may need more because it’s a texture thing)
__ 0.75 c grated cheese (Kraft brand Parmesan and Romano mix)
__ 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
__ 1 large yellow onion, diced
__ 0.5 c part-skim ricotta cheese (you could use whole milk as well)
__ a few tsp each of of salt, pepper, and olive oil
Methods:
0) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1) All of the following mixing must be done by hand (it’s easier and more fun than using utensils). In a bowl, mix together turkey, onion, and egg. Then add breadcrumbs and combine until mixture is workable and not too sticky. Add parsley and grated cheese and mix.
2) Smell the mixture to get an idea of how much salt and pepper to add (it’ll “smell” right). Ballpark estimate: ~ 2 tsp each. Add the salt and pepper and re-smell to check. If this is your first time letting your nose guide your meatballs, smell the mixture, add only 1 tsp of each to start, and smell it again (to see the difference); there will be a chance to add more seasoning in step 3. Add the ricotta and mix until smooth and homogeneous in appearance.
3) Make a small test meatball (~1″ in diameter) and cook it fully in a frying pan with some olive oil. Taste it to check seasoning and consistency. Decide on whether it needs more salt, pepper, cheese, or breadcrumbs. Smell the mixture before and after adding ingredients (start to build up a library of smells). If adding salt, combine thoroughly because, depending on the size of the grains of salt, it might take a few minute to dissolve. Re-test another sample meatball and tinker with your recipe until you are satisfied. Make a mental note of what the mixture smelled like right before you cooked that perfect meatball.
4) Line a baking pan that has a lip (to prevent spills) with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup). Rub the pan with olive oil. Roll meat mixture into balls (we prefer ~1″ for hors d’oeuvres, 2″ for pasta, 2.5+” for sandwiches) and place on pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until underside is moderately browned, and flip. Bake for another 20+ minutes, until meatballs are cooked through (bigger meatballs will take longer). This may require rolling them periodically to prevent burning the side contacting the pan.
5) Remove from oven, and cool. Put into sauce/gravy, and lightly simmer for at least a half hour so that the meat flavors will infuse into the liquid. Serve with your favorite pasta shape.
after dinner sneeze 