Fresh herb risotto with lemon

If I had to pick one rice meal to eat for many days in a row, I'd definitely choose a risotto. Besides being one of the so-called 'comfort meals', risottos are also great because they give us, creative and hungry amateur cooks, the chance to combine many different ingredients and to achieve peculiar, yet delicious, results.

Nothing better than a calm Saturday night at home with my babe to try a new combination of flavors. Fresh herbs and lemon, with some dry white wine, fresh Parmesan and a hint of butter have turned out into a very yummy meal. And made my very hungry boyfriend into a very happy one. Mission accomplished! 

6 portions
Original recipe on Food.com. Mine has gone through a few adaptations and I dare you to make your own.

7 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups of finely chopped fresh herbs (For this recipe, chives, parsley, thyme and basil. You can also use fresh rosemary, dill, chervil or tarragon, depending on what kind of flavors  you want).
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of finely chopped shallots
Smoked sea salt, to taste
2 cups of arborio rice
1 cup of dry white wine
fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of butter

My new favorite

Put the broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer on the stove. Set aside on a bowl the herbs and one of the minced garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy pan, add the shallots and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook gently until it is just tender. Stir in the rice and the remaining three cloves of garlic until the grains of rice become separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Begin adding the simmering stock, about 1/2 cup at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Every time you see your risotto is starting to dry out, grab a spoon, taste the grains and, if still too hard, add some more broth. When the rice becomes al dente (tender but still chewy, about 25 minutes after you started cooking), correct the seasoning. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice, stir the herbs, pepper, lemon zest and juice. If you desire a creamier version, instead of adding a full ladle of broth, add only half part and add about 3 tablespoons of single cream, followed by the Parmesan. Remove from the heat and check the creaminess. Your risotto should turn creamy. Serve right away. The mixture should be creamy. If you put some on a plate and tilt the plate the mound of rice should flatten out. Serve right away together with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Bom apetite!

If you wish to prepare the dish in advance, begin several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe, and cook halfway for about 15 minutes. Remove rice from the heat when it is still hard, without any liquid in the pan. Spread it in a thin layer, either in the pan or a tray. Resume cooking fifteen minutes before serving. 

Chilli con carne

For my very first post, I will use a recipe (and photos) I have made a while ago. I wish I could post something a bit more exciting and complicated (with better pictures), but because of my operated foot, my cooking performances have been drastically diminished lately. And, must I say, I miss cooking really really badly! Well, well, with almost one month left of my 'forced holidays', I cannot wait to try myself on some more complex 'projects'. Naaaah, but I guess it is just as nice to get started with a less sophisticated  but equally yummy recipe. 

I used Jamie Oliver's recipe for Chilli con Carne from his book Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Serves 4

2 medium onions
1 clove of garlic
olive oil

2 level teaspoons chilli powder

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (I prefer it chopped a bit more roughly. If you want it a bit spicier, try some slices of finely chopped habanero pepper)
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin (or crushed cumin seeds)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
455gr chuck steak, minced, or best minced beef

200gr sun-dried tomatoes in oil

2 x 400gr tins of tomatoes
1/2 stick of cinnamon
2 x 400gr tins of red kidney beans, drained

You will need a metal pan or casserole with a lid that can also go in the oven. You can cook it on the stove or you can prepare this spicy  delight in the oven. If that is your case, preheat the oven to 150 C.

Fry in a little olive oil finely chopped onions and garlic. Add the chilli powder, fresh chilli, cumin and a little seasoning.  Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring until it has browned.  Make a paste with the sun-dried tomatoes in the food processor with some of the oil from the jar.  Add them to the meat with the tomatoes, cinnamon stick and a glass of water.  Add more salt or ground pepper according to your taste.

For dishes like this, I prefer chopping the onions and chilli a bit more roughly. 

Start boiling and cover the casserole with both greaseproof paper and the lid. Turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. You can also transfer the pan to the oven for the same amount of time (just remember to check that you pan CAN go in the oven). Thirty minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the beans  - they are already cooked and only need warming up.

This dish tastes better if you cook it the day before. In this case, all the amazing flavors have time to develop and get even more astonishing. It is a good tip in case you've got friends coming over and don't want to spend your evening in the kitchen. 

Serve your Chilli con carne with fresh crusty bread, a nice tossed salad, and a big blob of natural yogurt or guacamole. Don't forget to add some tortilla chips. 

Bom apetite!