A lost post from 9/2020 - Includes a Risotto recipe
Hello Lovely Ladies and Gents,
So I logged in to write a long overdue post and saw that I started one back in September 2020 and never posted it. SO much has happened since I wrote this and there is so much to write about, but I will finish this post and promise another one tomorrow. I'm currently in Maine visiting with family, studying for my recertification once again, and really relaxing/decompressing.
***And now for the post that was started 10 months ago. I'm so embarrassed.
Last week I was in Virginia with mom. It was a gloriously relaxing week. We cooked. We read. We laughed. We got things done. Ahh. It was a much-needed getaway because when I came back to North Carolina I would be starting a new position. Preschool is still closed and I met with a family before I left about being a quarantine nanny for them. They have two young kids and they are both working at home right now. It's pretty much a win-win for everyone involved. It gets me out of the house. And it gets me an income without exposing myself to lots of people. So this is definitely a good solution for the time being.
The day after I got to mom's we had another cooking class and it was another fantastic class. We learned how to make mushroom risotto. I wasn't crazy about the idea at first, but I figured it would be a fun experience. We really enjoyed our last cooking class, which I still need to blog about. The reason I wasn't crazy about it is that I don't like mushrooms. So I asked around to see what other vegetables would be good substitutes. I asked my chef friend, Gabe, and he suggested using artichoke hearts and peas. I started salivating at the thought. We still got a jar of marinated mushrooms to put in it.
The big challenge for the recipe was finding frozen artichoke hearts. Mom didn't find the option to order them online with the rest of the grocery order so she ordered a can. I looked in a couple of places down here but didn't see any. A couple of hours before the class was starting I was running out for a few things and googled it. The place to go is Trader Joe's. In fact, someone likened the Trader Joe's Frozen Artichoke Hearts to crack. Lol While I have never tried crack, I can attest that the TJFAH are pretty addicting.
Before I list the ingredients and instructions I will comment on a couple of items. The first is that the recipe calls for white wine. I don't really cook with wine, so I didn't know what to use. I assumed that it should be a dry wine, but when I looked it up the suggestion was a sweet wine such as Pinot Grigio. I don't usually drink Pinot Grigio so I didn't want to spend too much money on it. I found a bottle on sale and got that. Turns out that I really enjoyed it. The other item that we struggled with was the rice. Risotto is made from short rice. The rice suggested was Arborio. I had never heard of it and stood in the rice section for 5 minutes not able to find any. I looked a little further down the aisle and found it with the quinoa and couscous.
*****
Okay here we go:
Ingredients for Mushroom Risotto
2 servings
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
●
8-ounce package of sliced baby Bella mushrooms
●
2 cloves garlic
●
½ tablespoon olive oil
●
1 tablespoon butter
●
¼ teaspoon pepper
●
¼ teaspoon salt
Risotto
● ½ tablespoon olive oil
●
1 small onion
●
1 tablespoon butter
●
½ cup Arborio rice
●
¼ cup white wine (use extra broth if you do not have wine)
●
1 ½ cups chicken broth (divided)
●
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
●
Salt and pepper, to taste
●
Parsley (for garnish)
Supplies
Needed
● Large skillet (cast iron preferred)
●
Small pot
●
Cutting board
●
Sharp knife
●
Measuring cups and spoons
●
Cooking utensils
●
Knife
●
2 bowls (microwaveable)
●
Apron, if desired
Instructions
1. Mince garlic and chop parsley. Set aside.
2.
Heat ½ tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet, over medium
heat.
3.
Add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes.
4.
Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
5.
Set aside in a bowl.
6.
Warm the broth in the microwave or in a small pot.
7.
Add butter and onions to the same skillet and cook until tender, about 3-4
minutes.
8.
Stir in rice and cook until rice starts to lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
9.
Add wine and cook until evaporated while stirring.
10.
Add warmed broth (½ cup at a time) stirring until evaporated after each
addition. This will take about 20 minutes.
11.
Stir in mushrooms with any juices, parmesan cheese, and parsley.
12. Taste and add salt & pepper as needed.
13.
Garnish with additional parmesan and parsley.
We doubled the recipe because we were having Aunt Carol over for dinner. Instead of the 8 ounces of Bella mushrooms, we added one bag of frozen artichoke hearts, one bag of frozen peas, and a small jar of marinated mushrooms.
I had been warned prior to making this dish that the main part of the cooking is the stirring. Lots and lots of stirring. It was even suggested that we could use an instant pot for the rice. However, I truly enjoy the process. I never really cooked big meals for most of my life. Like most people, I liked instant gratification in my meals and it showed. I never made anything from scratch. Life was great if I could just heat something up. Basically, the easier the process the better. Now though, I love creating and making things that I never dreamed of. It's a huge stress reliever for me also. It also makes me appreciate what about to eat and savor it. It's turning the meal into an experience for me, not a chore. It's a fantastic change.
The class is a virtual class now. Originally it was in the clubhouse at the demonstration kitchen. I didn't attend any there, but basically, the instructor did most of the work and you got a small sampling when it was over. Honestly, I love this. I've attended many cooking demonstrations, but I have rarely made the dish at home after. I love doing the actual cooking and then having an entire meal to eat. I have made the previous dish several times and I intend to make the risotto dish again. *as of 7/2021 I have not, but I still want to.
We entered the picture contest and won a $50 gift card to Whole Foods. So on top of learning how to make an incredible dish, we got to go shopping for good foods too. HOORAY!
**Back to the current day 7/2021. I shall end here and get back to studying, but I hope you enjoy the recipe and try it. I promise you that it is DELICOUS.
See you soon :-)
Have a Blessed Evening,
Jennie
xoxo
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
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