Risotto with Mushrooms

Once you have mastered the pattern for making risotto there is really no need at all to consult recipes. However, with my habit of turning over the pages of cookery books, I am always finding other recipes that I think I might try out just in case the slight difference might give a worthwhile variation.  This mushroom risotto was different only in the fact that it cooked the mushrooms first and added them later in the cooking process.

I took 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms and soaked them in a little more than a cup of boiling water. They were left to soak while I continued with the remainder of the dish.

I sliced 150g button mushrooms and sauteed them in 30g butter and a little olive oil. When they had browned they were taken off the heat, a little lemon juice was added and some chopped parsley. This was put aside.

In the same pan that the mushrooms had been cooked I added another 30g butter with some more olive oil. A chopped onion was added and cooked until soft. A cup of arborio rice went in and was stirred around until it was well coated with the oils.

The dried mushrooms were drained and the water saved. The porcini water was added to stock gently simmering on the stove. The mushrooms, both dried and fried, were added to the rice. I also added some oyster mushrooms that were left over from another dish. Once everything was well mixed in the pan 1/3 cup white wine was stirred in until it was absorbed.

Now began the final process of adding a ladle of the simmering stock to the rice. When it was almost absorbed another ladle went in and so on until the rice was done. The heat was turned off and about a tablespoon butter was added and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese stirred in. The risotto was covered and left to stand for a minute or two before serving.

Mushrooms are perfect in risotto. Their rich, rather meaty flavour works so well with the rice.

Taste: ✔✔✔
Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

There was risotto left over so the following evening it was formed into rissole shapes, dipped in flour, then beaten egg and finally breadcrumbs. It was shallow fried to make tasty, crunchy coated rissoles to have with vegetables.

Spinach and Cannellini Beans

From Best-Ever Vegetable Cookbook, Hermes House, 2002.

Feeling in the mood for greens and not having had many for a few days I set out to make this dish.

I began by brushing a slice of bread with olive oil on both sides. It was then fried until crisp and golden.  This was now broken up and placed in a blender with a peeled garlic clove. It was processed until grainy.

I peeled 3 tomatoes and chopped them. I chopped an onion and sautéed it until it was soft and then added the chopped tomatoes. The heat was turned to low and I let them cook on this heat while I prepared the other ingredients.

I heated up some olive oil in a large frying pan, stirred in a pinch of paprika and then added a goodly amount of baby spinach leaves. They were stirred around a little and a lid added until they had wilted. The onions and tomatoes were now poured in, stirred and the heat turned to low.

A tin of cannellini beans was drained, rinsed and added together with the bread mixture.  A little water was added and the ingredients were all stirred until well mixed.  It was now cooked on low for about 15 minutes when it was ready to be served.

Normally I would not have considered adding bread to a dish like this but I was pleased with the result. I had initially thought that it would add some crunch to it but with the added cooking time it had thickened the dish and, of course, added to the flavour. A tasty and satisfying way to serve some green.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Leek Soufflé

From Essential Vegetarian, Hermes House, 2003.

I saw a soufflé being eaten on the TV the other night so naturally I wanted to make one to eat myself.

I sliced a large leek finely and then sautéed it in a pan with a little oil and butter. When it had softened I poured in 300ml milk, brought it to the boil and then let the mixture simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.  This was then strained and both the leeks and the milk retained.

I now melted 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and then stirred in 25g plain flour. I let this cook for a little while then took it off the heat and added the strained milk, made up to 300ml again, and stirring to mix well. This went back on the beat and stirring continuously was brought to the boil. The thickened sauce was now taken off the heat and when it had cooled a little the leeks were added together with 4 egg yolks and 75g grated Gruyère cheese and a little seasoning.

A soufflé dish was now buttered in preparation and the oven heated to 180ºC. The 4 egg whites were beaten until stiff. They were carefully folded into the main mixture and then poured into the soufflé dish. It went in the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

The soufflé rose well. It had slightly crisp top and edges and was creamy inside. The leek flavour was subtle, not too intense to overwhelm the cheese and egg, and went down really well. I did find that once we had broken into the soufflé that the centre still needed a little more time so that went back into the oven while we ate some of the firmer bits. Not the best way to eat it but it was still enjoyed.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔ 

Pumpkin & Pistachio Risotto

From Perfect Risotto, Hermes House, 2004.

I had a little butternut pumpkin left over so decided to use it in this risotto dish.

Firstly I put a saucepan of vegetable stock on to warm up and into it I dropped a pinch of saffron.

An onion and a garlic clove, both chopped, were cooked gently in olive oil in a large frying pan. After about 5 minutes they had softened and 225g Arborio rice was stirred in until it was well coated with the oil. Now 450g pumpkin cut into 2cm dice joined the rice and was cooked for a couple of minutes more. About ¼ cup white wine was added and cooked until it was almost gone. Now began the addition of the stock a ladle at a time until it had been absorbed.

When the rice and pumpkin were cooked about ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese was added, the heat turned off and the pan covered for about 5 more minutes.

Before serving, 25g pistachios were added with a little chopped fresh oregano and seasoning to taste.

This was a useful way in which to finish off the little pumpkin that was left. It was an okay risotto.If you are a pumpkin fan then it's a great risotto.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Risotto with Mushrooms

From Perfect Risotto, Hermes House, 2004.

When a book has the adjective ‘perfect’ in it then you expect something really special. Mind you, it’s dicey adding that to the title when the perfection must depend partly on the person making the dish. For me, this dish did not turn out to be perfect, it was pretty good but perfect, no. I lay the disappointment on the use of lemon.

To begin I soaked about ½ cup dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for almost ¾ of an hour. Meanwhile I sliced a little over 2 cups of button mushrooms, placed them in a bowl and mixed the juice of ½ lemon with them. The mushrooms were cooked in a knob of butter until they had browned. I then added a handful of finely chopped parsley.

Now a pot of stock was put on to simmer and the porcini mushrooms were drained, adding the mushroom water to the stock.

An onion was chopped and added to a frying pan with a knob of butter and some olive oil. When the onion had softened, I added 1½ cups Arborio rice and stirred until the rice was well coated with the oil. Now were added the porcini mushrooms and the cooked mushrooms and stirred in.

The stock was now added a ladle at a time, waiting for each ladleful to be absorbed before the next. When the rice was cooked a knob of butter and some grated Parmesan cheese were stirred in and the risotto was served.

I found that the lemon juice had come through a little too strongly and slightly overpowered the mushrooms. I don’t think lemon and mushroom is a particularly good mix. The risotto was all right, though it would have been so much better without the lemon flavour.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Oriental Green Beans

From Best-Ever Vegetable Cookbook, Hermes House, 2002. 

I was after a side dish of vegetables so settled for this bean dish despite my dislike of the term ‘oriental’.

I took a handful of green bean, topped and tailed them and put them in the steamer to cook for about 5 minutes.

While they were cooking I heated a little olive oil and a dash of sesame oil in a saucepan. I added a chopped garlic clove and sautéed it for a little longer. I then added a little chopped fresh ginger and some dark soy sauce. I kept stirring these until the beans were ready. The beans were taken out of the steamer, placed in a bowl and the sauce poured over.

The sauce was dark, almost black, and had a strong, almost bitter, taste to it though it did complement the beans quite well.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔✔