Kale & Leek Risotto

Risotto! It is so easy to make, and pretty much fail proof. It is one of my go-to meals when I have a lot of veggies on hand and want something fairly quick and easy to make after a long day at work. This week I used a mixture of kale, shallots, leeks, lemon, and Parmesan cheese – a little army of magical flavors. If you haven’t tried making risotto before, I recommend it!

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 shallot, chopped
1 heaping cup sliced leeks
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup water
Juice of half a lemon (plus more at the end, if needed)
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
Pinch red pepper flakes
3 cups unsalted chicken stock (or broth)
1 cup de-stemmed chopped kale
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by bringing the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep on low.

In a heavy saucepan, cook the garlic and shallot in some olive oil for a minute, then add the leeks and cook together until everything is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for another 1-2 minutes to toast the rice a little. Next add the 1/2 cup of water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the red pepper flakes. Cook and mix until liquid is absorbed. Now, start adding the chicken stock… you’ll want to add 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock at a time, cooking until liquid is completely absorbed before adding your next 1/2 cup of stock. Repeat this until all the stock us used. It will take about 15 minutes or so. You want to be stirring constantly to move the rice around and help it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The rice will be soft but will still have a little firmness to it when finished. When the rice is about done, toss in the kale and parsley, then salt and pepper to taste. At the very end, fold in the Parmesan cheese.

Risotto is a great side and goes with almost anything. I eat it as my main meal a lot too, and often top it with a poached egg.

Summer Pea & Prosciutto Risotto

Risotto! One of the easiest most delicious things to make. It wasn’t until recently that I tried making it, as I was under the impression it was a hard thing to make, but turns out it is incredibly easy! There are minimal steps, you just need a little patience while the rice takes its time to absorb all that delicious liquid. Though I find sipping a big glass of wine is a great way to help the time pass while you wait!

Ingredients:
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
28 ounces chicken stock
1 cup fresh peas
1 cup shredded zucchini, moisture squeezed out
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, optional
Good pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a heavy bottomed pot, add the chopped prosciutto and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Cook until crispy then remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the garlic and shallots for a few minutes then add the rice, followed by the wine, and simmer for about 3 minutes. In the meantime bring the chicken stock to a boil in a separate pot then turn off the heat. Add enough of the hot stock to the rice in order to just cover it, and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid. This will take about 5-7 mins. Pour in more stock and repeat the process until the rice has absorbed all of the stock and is creamy and el dente, about 25 minutes total. While the rice cooks, sauté the peas in a pan with some olive oil for about 5 minutes then set aside. When the rice is ready, add the cooked peas, zucchini, prosciutto, lemon juice, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a touch of butter if you want to get a little crazy! A poached egg on top is always lovely as well…

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Leek & Arugula Risotto With Pancetta


I’ve never made risotto before, mainly because I thought it always sounded so time consuming to make. But I am happy to report that it doesn’t take that long and is totally worth the end result. The pancetta with the runny egg reminded me a little carbonara, which I love. I think my favorite thing about this recipe was that I tossed in some lemon juice and zest which ended up giving it really nice flavor.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 oz pancetta, chopped
1 large garlic clove
1 cup sliced leeks
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup water
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup chopped arugula
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs

Start by bringing the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep on low.

In a heavy saucepan, cook the pancetta in a little olive oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, saute the garlic and leeks in the leftover pancetta drippings until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and and stir for another 1-2 minutes. Next add the the water, lemon juice and zest, and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add in 1/2 cup of the hot chicken broth and cook until liquid is absorbed, then repeat until all broth is used. You want to be stirring constantly. The rice will be soft but will still have a little firmness to it when finished. Toss in the pancetta and arugula.

To poach the eggs, boil some water in a medium sized pot. Add about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (helps make them fluffy) and swirl the water with a spoon to get a little whirlpool going before pouring the eggs in one at a time. Cook for about :30-:45 seconds before removing them with a slotted spoon. I usually lift them slightly out of the pot and gently poke the centers until it feels a little firm but runny in the center.

Plate the risotto and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and your poached egg!

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