Lemon Cup Risotto

Hmm, where to begin with this post. Dinner tonight was supposed to be garlic lemon double stuffed chicken with the lemon cup risotto and corn, however I looked at the chicken recipe and decided I just didn't have the energy tonight to do all of that. So I used seasoned Panko breadcrumbs for the chicken and called it a day.

As for the risotto...here is the recipe I wanted to make: Risotto in a Lemon Cup 
However, once I took a better look at the lemons I bought I realized that this just probably wasn't going to work out. It looks cool and fancy and would be great for a dinner party, but its really not a practical recipe unless you have really large lemons. So, for the sake of the blog, I put the risotto in it, but I didn't serve it that way.

It looks pretty doesn't it? But you can see that the lemon is just too small for even a tiny serving of risotto and I'm not sure how it would affect the flavor even with the inside of the lemon removed.

So I created a general risotto made from the basics and since we had mascarpone cheese, I added that in too. It turned out really well, but darker than usual. I think its because I used a different type of chicken stock. Usually I would use Nature's Promise Organic Low Sodium Chicken Stock, but this time I used the Kitchen Basics brand. Anyway, onto the recipe.

Cheese Risotto
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2 slices small onion, diced
3 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. mascarpone cheese
1 tsp. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. parsley (optional, garnish)

Directions:
1. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add in 1 tbs. olive oil and the onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.
2. Pour the chicken stock into a small saucepan and put over low heat. 
3. Add in the garlic and the remaining olive oil. Cook 1-2 minutes more.
4. Add in the rice and stir around until the rice is coated with the oil and garlic and turns a translucent/pale color. Pour in the white wine (I use cooking wine by the way) and cook until the rice has absorbed the wine.
5. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, pour in 1/2 to 1 cups of chicken stock and stir occasionally until absorbed. Repeat with the remaining chicken stock.
6. Once the rice looks like its going to start sticking to the pan, turn the heat down to low and add in the butter, mascarpone and cream cheese. Stir and fold until the cheeses and butter are melted and incorporated into the risotto. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

I didn't take a picture of the chicken, but if you are interested in trying a really simple breaded recipe, here it is.
1. In a shallow bowl, crack two eggs and whisk. (Tom added in some hot sauce and A1 for flavoring. It came through on some parts of the chicken but not others. If you want to do this, I'd suggest 1/2 tsp of hot sauce and 1 tbs. of A1 and to stab holes in the chicken first and let it marinade in that in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.)
2. In another shallow bowl pour in 1 1/2 cups of seasoned Panko breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Place in a glass baking dish. You can add a small pat of butter to the top of the chicken to keep it moist while it cooks. Bake for 25-45 minutes, depending on how thick the chicken breast is.

Cheesy Garlic Risotto

So if you read the weekly meals you'd know that I was supposed to make chicken ratatouille and chile salmon with baked potatoes.

Well, I'm sick again so Monday was fend for yourself day. Tuesday I planned on making the ratatouille but the grocery store still didn't have any eggplant and Tom really isn't a big fan, so I seasoned the chicken with chicken seasoning, garlic and pepper and it was fend for yourself sides night. Since baked chicken isn't all that interesting I figured there was no need to blog about it.

Today I did make the salmon, but I wasn't happy with the recipe at all. It just tasted like fishy fish. So before I blog about it, I'm going to make it again with an all day marinade to see if it improves the taste. The thin pieces of the fish had the marinade and weren't bad, but the thicker parts were just crappy. However, it is in the picture because risotto in a pan doesn't look quite as well as risotto on a plate.

I also realized tonight that there weren't enough baked potatoes to make them tonight and tomorrow and Tom suggested risotto. Since I didn't have any mushrooms for the mushroom risotto that I always make, I figured I'd create my own cheesy risotto.

Cheesy Garlic Risotto
Servings: 3
Source: my brain!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup arborio rice
1 small onion, diced
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 green onion stalk, diced
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. cream cheese
1 tsp. butter

Directions:
1. Warm the chicken broth over low heat.
2. Add the oil to a pan over medium heat and cook the garlic, onion, and green onion for 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with the oil and takes on a pale beige color, about 1 minute.
4. Add the white wine and cook until the rice absorbs the wine. Add in the chicken broth in parts, no more than 1 cup at a time and stir occasionally until its absorbed into the rice.
5. Once all of the chicken broth is absorbed, add in the cheeses and butter. Stir occasionally until everything is melted. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

And by the way, I realize that I'm a crazy risotto making lady. But I'm okay with that because risotto is damn good!

Pan Seared Scallops with Mushroom Risotto and Garlicy Green Beans

You could expect to read this on a restaurant menu, right? That's one of my favorite things about cooking; making something that sounds complicated and intricate when its really just simple ingredients that create an awesome meal.

If you read my first risotto post, you'll know that I think everyone should learn how to make risotto because well, its not difficult at all! It takes a bit of time, yes, but its definitely not rocket science. Hell, I even think that with the right cooking utensils, some close supervision and a better kitchen, even my mother could make risotto. And that speaks volumes!

Also, you may have noticed that I don't blog about just the main course for dinner. Why? Well, because I can usually figure out what to do with the chicken, steak, pork, ground beef on my own, but the side dishes are where I'll sit there and flip through my recipes trying to figure out what to make for sometimes 30 minutes. So, I like to be a well rounded blogger and include the side dishes. Does it make the blog longer, sure, but at least you get an idea of an entire meal instead of just 'cream cheese chicken' because really, what does one serve with cream cheese chicken?

Pan Seared Scallops

Source: google and allrecipes.com reviews

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb. bay scallops
sea salt
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Rinse the scallops in cold water. Scallops are usually packed in an ingredient that keeps them white. You want to wash that off.
2. Put scallops on a paper plate and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Season liberally with salt.
4. Add olive oil and butter to a pan (unsalted works best, but if you don't have it, don't worry) over medium-high heat. Wait until the pan just begins to smoke.
5. Add the scallops to the pan. Now DON'T TOUCH THEM! I know its hard to resist the temptation to peek and see if they are searing or not, but trust me, just leave them there.
6. In about 2-3 minutes (2 if you have tiny scallops) its okay to lift them up and see if there is some searing going on there. If they are at the pretty caramelized color, turn them over and repeat the process.

A scallop is cooked through when its still squishy to the touch. If its firm, you've overcooked it.

Mushroom Risotto
Servings: 3-4
Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock
3 tbs. olive oil, divided
1 package mushrooms (I use Shitake or Bella)
1/4 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbs butter
2 tbs Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Pour the chicken stock into a small pot and put over medium-low heat. You're just going to warm it up.
2. Put 1 tbs. olive oil in a large pan and put it over medium high heat. Dice the mushrooms and add in. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
3. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and put into a small bowl or on a plate, just keep them nearby.
4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and the onion. Cook until the onion is soft.
5. Stir in the rice and toss it around until it is coated with the oil. Add the white wine and stir until it is completely absorbed by the rice.
6. Add the chicken stock to the rice in parts, no more than 1 cup at a time and wait until the rice has fully absorbed the stock (and it looks like its going to stick) to add in more.
7. Once all of the stock is in the rice and absorbed, put the mushrooms, butter and Parmesan cheese into the risotto and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt.

Garlicy Green Beans
Servings: 2-3
Source: my brain, again

Ingredients:
2-3 handfuls green beans, ends trimed
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter over medium high heat.
2. Add in garlic and let cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add in green beans and salt and pepper.
4. Cook, covered for 5-7 minutes or until green beans are soft.

To cook as an entire meal, start the green beans and scallops when you add in the second cup of chicken stock to the risotto. If all goes well, you should have everything done at the same time.