Thursday
Feb022012

mushroom risotto

Risotto is one of those comfort foods that is much better the next day.  That is if it makes it to the next day.  It is such a lovely food.  We really like it around here.  It is one of those dishes that I could really eat twice a week.  But during the summer here, it is a bit warm to make the traditional way and I just do not think any other way I have tried so far is as good.  

I have been trying to feed the freezer recently.  During December I got told there was no food in the freezer.  My Beloved reheats well.  Now, I do not have any empty pyrex to put in the freezer!  But the comment was made while our best friend was here that I should really put more risotto in the freezer.  The issue here - none of this made it!  

It is a simple food that just takes a bit of time.  Comfort food at its finest.

Mushroom risotto

about an ounce of dried mushrooms

6 to 8 cups water

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion minced

4 to 6 gloves garlic minced

1 to 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground pepper ( to taste)

1 glass white wine (optional, but use something you wish to drink)

2 cups aborio rice

2 to 4 ounces grated asiago or parmesan

 

In a large pot, put the mushrooms and water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn down and let simmer until you have a strong mushroom broth.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over a mediim flame.  Add the onion.  You want it just to start to brown.  Carefully take the onions out of the broth and mince.  Add to the onion.  Add the garlic.  Give a few good stirs and let things meld together a bit.  You want golden but no darker.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Add the rice.  Mix the rice until each grain is covered in oil and starting to turn translucent.

Add the wine.  Stir the rice until there is no liquid in the pot.

Add the boiling broth, a cup at a time.  You want to stir often because the starch in the rice will go into the broth.  You want the rice to be cooked.  I like soft.  My Beloved likes al dente.  Whatever works for you.  We like the risotto to be a bit on the brothy side.

When the rice is the texture you like, turn off the heat.  Add the cheese and mix in.  Cover the skillet with a lid and let sit for five minutes.

Serve the yumminess.

My Beloved says it is fabulous as breakfast the next day.

We like it reheated days later and let it get crispy bits from the oven (put in a pyrex and heat).

There is a recipe for appetizers that I wish to try where you take day old risotto, wrap a bit of cheese in the risotto, and bake or fry until crispy.  I will have to try it.  That is if there are every leftovers!

Wednesday
Feb012012

making bread - an every day prayer

I bumped into a person I had been introduced to in the elevator at work yesterday.  Mr J asked if I could bring him some sourdough starter.  So I did.  

I do not mind sharing because making bread can be a meditation.  A prayer for everday.

I have noticed that sourdough seems to be the thing this autumn and winter.  The interest in it is very cyclic.  The funny thing is that I have been making sourdough for years.  The first time was when I was seventeen.  It was hard to keep that going during college but I started it up again about five years ago. Sometimes it feels like there is magic about making bread, but there really is not.  Flour, salt, water, and something that is yeast.  In my case that is flour and water that has been set out for a week to catch the wild yeastie beasties.  I change up the bread recipes depending on what I am craving but the simple works.  Making bread is always a prayer.  

Neither bread or sourdough is diffcult.  Neither is intimidating.  I actually kneaded bread before work today while I was talking to my Beloved.

The night before you wish bread, mix your starter with one cup of flour and about three quarter cup water in a large bowl.  Let that sit in a warm spot for about eight hours or until bubbly.  Smell how the yeastie beasties make the house smell.  Big deep breath.

Take a couple tablespoons of the starter and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for next time.  Your bread is making your bread for next time.  Part of the everlasting meal.

To what is left in add a couple cups of water, four teaspoons salt, and enough flour to make a stiff dough.

Knead for ten minutes.  Let  your mind wander and your body relax as you knead.  It is a time for meditation and smiles.  The bread dough will smooth and there will be some give to it.

Let rise until double.

Shape into a round and let rise for a couple more hours (or hour if the house is really warm).

While the bread is rising, heat a cast iron dutch oven with its cover in a 450 degree Fahrenheit oven for at least 15 minutes.

Turn the dough in to the pot.  Slash the top.  Cover.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Uncover.  Turn heat down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Or just bake in any form you wish for one hour at 350 degrees.  I do this when I wish to have a softer crust and bread in a loaf pan.

My family then cuts into the bread.

They say I need to make more already.

You will notice there is no magic.  There is barely any measuring.  There is a lot of waiting.  But the simplest of ingredients with a little time and care can make the most wonderful food.  And start getting ready for the next batch.

This is where you start.  All bread is just this with different additions.  If I add things, I change the baking time to 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit I.  Nothing fancy.  No kool-aid to drink.  No propaganda to read.  Just an everyday prayer for an everlasting meal.

Tuesday
Jan312012

maple and apple slow cooked venison

I was reading the blog Simply Breakfast during the holidays.  There was a recipe that that called my name:  Maple and Apple Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.  But I did not wish to go to the store and I had a venison shoulder in the freezer.  I tried the recipe with the venison and it is pretty fabulous.  It should be pretty fabulous with pork.

Maple and Apple Slow Cooked Venison

Note:  I actually had a smaller shoulder and kept the spices the same.  My family loved it!

3 pound venison shoulder

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

pinch of ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoon soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Put the venison shoulder in a crock pot that will hold it.

Pour everything on top of the shoulder.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat pulls apart.

I served this with mashed potatoes and coleslaw but you could put it on a bun and eat it that way.  This is one we are going to do again, probably with the venison neck next time.

Monday
Jan302012

chai

When our best friend was here, there was lots of food and conversation.  There was also just the tiniest bit of tea.  I am actually being facetious.  We drank lots of tea.  There was a request for chai which makes the laughter a little bit brighter.  

I have been making chai for a long time.  I will write down my basic recipe here but every pot changes.  My Beloved likes the pot that is very spicey.  Sometimes I like more vanilla.  This can be customized for evey mood.

Chai

Note:  I do substitute ground spices when there is nothing else in the cupboard

1 pint water

a piece of ginger the size of your gingertip, peeled and minced or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger

7 peppercons (medium grind makes it spicier and usually what I use)

1 cinnamon stick  or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 cloves

1 teaspoon or so of dried orange peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon black tea

milk

sugar

In a large pot, put the water.  Add the ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, orange, and vanilla.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for ten minutes.  Add the black tea.  I like to use a tea ball.  Let steep for four minutes.  

Strain into cups and add milk and sugar to taste.

Enjoy!  We never seem to get enough of this but do not make it often.  It is always better then out because we make it to our taste.

Friday
Jan272012

pasta sauce from the bean pot

I am actually writing early today.  With another cup of tea.  There is a bit of tea around here.  Yesterday, I made two huge enchilada casseroles to feed the freezer and whoever walked through the door.  By the end of the night, I was tired and my head hurt.  I fell over asleep which always makes my Beloved laugh.    

Today, my thoughts are not being put together very well.  The head is still hurting but the Tall Short Person and the Smallest Short Person are here with me.  That is why there is a biscuit.  The Tall Short Person brought her creation for me to try.  It was yummy but we both thought it would better with sausage gravy.  We discussed the creation of these biscuits through text messages throughout the afternoon and she raided my kitchen while I was at work.  It is lovely that she live so close.

I am actually going to continue the thoughts I had from Tuesday.  The pot of beans started as bean soup.  Then I stored some in the refigerator for my Beloved's breakfasts or lunches.  The rest of the beans became a pasta sauce.  It was very rich and was wonderful on pasta.  I was able to put three pints in the freezer for later.

Bean Ragu

1/2 pound beans, cooked and seasoned for soup.  If they have onions, garlic, and greens added, all the better

1 28 ounce can tomatoes - fire roasted are the best

a glass of your favorite red wine or a 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

a bit of sugar to your taste if you wish

a handful of fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of cayenne if it is to your taste

My beans were in a crockpot but this can be done in a regular pot on the stove.  Dump everything in together.

 

Cook at a simmer for a few hours.  Blend together.  Adjust the seasonings.  Serve over pasta or polenta.

I did not get a picture of it all blended and eaten.  I think that is a good indication of how well this went down.  It is easy because you are using the beans from earlier in the week.  The real key behind an everlasting meal. 

Tonight is pizza.  The sourdough got started yesterday, bread kneaded before work and did a cool rise all day.  Yumminess.