With several risotto recipes and one yummy Paella on this blog, you’ll be able to find all of them them Indexed as One Click. I've grouped a number of popular recipes that way; as time permits, there will be more. If you’re curious, check out what One Click is all about!
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Golden Squash Risotto
If you’ve never made risotto or paella, each is made with arborio rice. If you’re nervous about cooking with arborio rice, the instructions are always the same … Slow down, and the job will go faster. With your stove top
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| Golden Squash Risotto |
element on medium heat, add just a lee-dle liquid, stirring constantly as you cook the rice slowly, so that the rice absorbs the liquid and starts to puff up before you start all over again, gradually adding more liquid.
From start to finish, cooking and constantly stirring the rice in this recipe will take about 30 min. As time consuming as this is, it’s mindless, allowing you to have a glass of wine or chat with whoever’s keeping you company in the kitchen.
The key word is patience, applying not just to this recipe, but to each time you cook with arborio rice.
If you forget these sage words from on high, check out How to Cook Rice and search for “arborio rice.” Sorry to disappoint, but you won’t find anything new. Plenty of patience and plenty of liquid are all it takes to cook arborio rice. Bon courage!
Golden Squash Risotto:
1 large butternut squash (see How to Peel Squash Faster Note)
1 medium cooking onion
2 garlic cloves
2-to-3 tbsp. (30-to-40 mL) olive, canola, or garlic oil
1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
1 tsp. (5 mL) freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) powdered nutmeg
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) cayenne pepper
1-1/2 c. (375 mL) arborio rice, sieve-rinsed with cold water
1 c. (250 mL) dry white wine, divided
4-1/3 c. (1 L plus 5 tbsp.) water, divided
1/3 c. (80 mL) poultry broth concentrate (such as Better than Bouillon)
2 tsp. (10 mL) powdered thyme
1/3 c. (80 mL) powdered Parmesan cheese (see Parmesan Note)
2 green onions (“spring onions”), angle-sliced
Prepare and array all ingredients in advance. Peel and seed squash, dicing into 1-in. (2.54 cm) cubes (see How to Peel Squash Faster Note). The peeled squash will cook as the rice cooks.
Dice onion; mince garlic.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil sizzles, add squash, onion, and garlic, lowering heat to medium. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne, stirring constantly, about 3 min., or until onion appears soft and opaque.
Continuing to stir, add rice until well-coated with oil. Raising and lowering heat from medium-high to medium, add half the wine, stir-stir-stirring until rice absorbs wine. Add remainder of wine, stirring until rice again absorbs wine. Rice should gradually start to swell without sticking to the skillet.
Remove approximately 2. c. (500 mL) of the water. Whisk in chicken broth concentrate and set aside.
Working slowly and with care, stir 1/2 c. (125 mL) of remaining water into risotto mixture. Repeat, constantly stirring, until rice absorbs all the water. Using the same method, gradually add poultry broth. Expect this process to take about 25 min. If rice is not quite cooked, add a further 1/4 c. (60 mL) water and continue stirring a little longer.
Add powdered Parmesan cheese until well combined. Adjust the seasoning, as old recipes once said. Translation: You’ll desperately need more salt and pepper. Now’s the time to add it - but if you prefer, let your table mates know you went easy on the salt and leave it up to them to make that decision. Garnish with green onions before serving. Serves 4 as a hearty main dish.
How to Peel Squash Faster Note: Make a slit down the top and bottom of the center of your squash. Pop it into the microwave oven from 6-to-10 min., turning over once. The object for this recipe is to peel the squash - not cook it.
Parmesan Note: A boisterous Parmesan flavor works best in this recipe. I use a shake-on powder. Save the more delicate taste of Parmesan cheese for a dish such as Pesto Italiano or or My All-Time Favorite Lasagna.
Friday, October 28, 2022
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
It’s definitely quicker to buy a couple of Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice Lattes than to make this recipe from scratch, but we all like a challenge, n’est-ce-pas?
(Not me! There’s no dang way I’m making this recipe! It’s complicated!) If you’re up to the challenge, and want to serve this to a crowd, I suggest you leave several copies of the recipe on the kitchen counter, letting your guests divide up the workload and figure it out on their own. I've modified the original recipe’s difficult instructions (three recipes, actually!) to simplify them.
Naturally, Starbucks® would prefer you use their brand of Espresso Roast. Whether you do or don’t is up to you.
Starbucks® Pumpkin Spice Latte:
Prepare Pumpkin Spice Syrup and Pumpkin Pie Spice (recipes, below) before proceeding with the Latte recipe. Be sure to read the Brewing Note and its link before you start. If not, you’ll be saw-reee!
2 tbsp. (16 g) coarsely ground quality coffee per 6 fl. (180 ml) boiling water (See Brewing Note).
3 tbsp. (45 mL) Pumpkin Spice Syrup
1 c. (250 mL) whole milk, heated and frothed with stick blender
1/4 c. (60 mL) whipped cream
Dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice
Prepare and array all ingredients, setting aside momentarily. Pour Pumpkin Spice Syrup into coffee mug, followed by hot espresso. Stir well. Fill mug with milk until ¾ full. Top with whipped cream; dust with Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Brewing Note: Your success will depend on the ratio of coffee-to-water you use to make this coffee - and that ratio depends on which brewing method you use. The proportion of coffee-to-water I’ve used is for a French press.
https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-tips-about-brewing-coffee-at-home/
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup:
1½ c. (375 mL) granulated sugar
1½ c. (375 mL) water
6 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. (5 mL) powdered cloves
1 tsp. (5 mL) powdered ginger
2 tsp. (10 mL) powdered nutmeg
1/4 c. (60 mL) pumpkin purée
Combine sugar and water in saucepan, heating until dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pumpkin purée. Simmer 20 min. Remove from heat; immediately strain through double layer of cheesecloth lining small sieve. Makes enough syrup for 8 Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Refrigerate, covered, up to 7 days.
Pumpkin Pie Spice:
2 tsp. (10 mL) cinnamon
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) ginger
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) nutmeg
1/4 tsp. (1.2 mL) cloves
Combine well. Store, covered, in cool, dry place.
Note: Although the syrup and spice mixtures serve 8, the coffee in this recipe serves just one, so be sure to brew extra.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas
This interesting dish doesn’t originate with me, though heaven only knows where I found it! Don’t be afraid to ramp up the heat for extra flavor, tasting as you go along.
Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas:
13 fl. oz. (398 mL) can tomato sauce
1 c. (250 mL) vegetable or chicken broth
2 tsp. (10 mL) real or imitation maple syrup
1-1/2 tbsp. (22 mL) curry powder
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) cumin powder
1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
1 head cauliflower, each floret chopped
1 small hot red pepper (such as a chili pepper), diced fine
15 oz. (443 mL) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
Cilantro, stemmed, as needed
In large skillet, combine tomato sauce, broth, maple syrup, curry powder, cumin, and salt. Combine well, cooking over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Lower heat to medium-low, adding chopped cauliflower.
Cover skillet, cooking 5 min. before adding red pepper. Continue to cook, covered, until vegetables are almost tender, 5-to-10 min. Add chickpeas, cooking 5 min. longer. Serve at once, topped with a flurry of cilantro. A little sour cream on the side will lower the heat. Serves 4.