If you’ve never made a Risotto before, it can be a little intimidating and leave you with lots of questions. Did the rice absorb enough stock? Is the cheese going to scald when it hits this pan? Is this texture ever going to be right? Risotto is really a waiting game, and it’s incredibly important to KEEP STIRRING! You have to beat that rice around the pan to be sure you give your infusion ingredients opportunity to work their way in. This is a marriage that takes a little time to make happy. But all that being said, it’s not the most difficult thing you could ever task yourself with making. Here’s how you make this slightly modified version of one of my favorite risottos from Tyler Florence.

Ingredients (2 big servings)

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound sea scallops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz assorted mushrooms, such as portobello, crimini, and shiitake, stemmed
• 1 tespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cups Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 4 cups canned chicken stock, heated
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation:
1. Take a large deep skillet or saucepan and begin heating it over medium high heat. Be sure you pick one with some taller sides if you have one available, as you’ll make almost the entire meal in this single pan. As you heat the pan, put your quart of chicken stock into a sauce pan and begin heating it on your backburner. There’s no need to simmer it, just get it good and warm so that you can add it to your Risotto when the time is right.

2. Once your skillet is warm, give it two or three turns of olive oil. Salt and pepper your sea scallops and cook both sides until you start to see a nice golden brown color start to develop. It should take two to three minutes a side.

3. Remove the scallops from the pan to a plate or bowl and cover them with alumninum foil to keep warm while you make the risotto.

4. Reduce the heat to medium. Drizzle in another 2-count of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft.

5. Next, add the mushrooms thyme, and 2 tablespoons of parsley and cook until the mushrooms lose their liquid. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Season your pan contents with salt and pepper.

6. Add the rice and stir for about 2 minutes to coat with the oil. When the grains turn opaque it’s time to give them a drink. Stir in the wine and cook 1 minute to evaporate the alcohol.

7. Pour in 1 cup of the warm stock and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. It’s important to stir frequently and as much as possible.

8. Add another cup of stock. Continue this process until you’re done, stirring constantly and adding the stock 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. (You may not need all of the stock; the risotto is done when it is slightly firm but creamy.)

9. Fold in the scallops with the last cup of stock to warm them up. When the risotto is cooked, fold in the butter and cheese (it won’t scald, I promise!). Serve hot. Garnish with parsley.

It’s very creamy, gluten free (if you’re not using enriched rice) and reheats well if you pan warm the scallops. This meal takes about an hour or so to bring to the table, so it’s one to plan for. If you make it, be sure to let me know how it comes out, as this one has become a favorite for Dr. Wife.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts of chicken stock
• 1 13 oz. can of shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8 oz dried wide egg noodles
• 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons of Old Bay
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Place a soup pot over medium high heat and cook until liquid is reduced by 1/3..

2. Add the noodles and vegetables. Bring pot to a simmer for approximately five minutes. Reduce heat and cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to allow noodles to cook through.

3. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and fresh black pepper before serving.

And that’s all there is to it. It’s very, very tasty and really simple.

They’re easy to make, albeit a tad time consuming. Since you’re getting a whole bell pepper, you’re getting a lot of veggies, and the ground chicken with melted Parmesan is really warming. Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients :

• 1 lb. Fresh Ground Chicken
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 1/2 cup chopped Spanish onion
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
• 4 medium sized red, green or yellow peppers
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat the oil in a pan; add garlic, onion, ginger and ground chicken; cook until chicken is cooked through and white in color.

2. Drain any grease from the pan add tomato paste, water and soy sauce.

3. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

4. Cut the tops off of the peppers; remove the seeds and the white inner fleshy parts (veins).

5. Stuff each pepper with the cooked chicken mixture, sprinkle stuffed peppers with Parmesan cheese. We layer our cheese throughout, building it the same way you would a layer cake.

6.Place your peppers on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 325°F, until they are brown or the cheese melts (about 30 minutes).

Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional info:
Calories: 431
Total Fat: 19g
Sat. Fat: 8g
Cholest.: 139mg
Sodium: 2,800
Carb.: 20g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 44g

They’re absolutely fantastic and impossible to screw up.

We did our spinach pesto over a grilled chicken and paired it with balsamic marinated asparagus spears and fresh Roma tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper. Here’s how you do it.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 fresh lemon squeezed
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preparation:

1. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Lightly oil the grill pan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and some garlic salt. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Grill asparagus that has marinated in balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper on separate portion of the pan. Turn asparagus at the same time you turn the chicken. Remove after about 6 to 8 minutes. It should cook a little faster than the chicken. Just set it aside to cool.

2. While you’re grilling, combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a food processor. Lightly pulse. Pause occasionally to gradually add the 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy.

3. Transfer the spinach mixture to a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Spread the pesto over each piece of chicken and serve.

It’s awesome and super fast (like 15 minutes fast). I don’t think I’ve made something recently that Vita has enjoyed so much. She was raving about the spinach pesto and found herself looking for things to put it on after the chicken and tomatoes were gone. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1/2 Onion Diced
• 1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Tablespoon Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 3 Heaping Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Red Bell Pepper
• 3 Cups chicken meat, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 Tablespoon Curry Powder
• 1 Cup of Half and Half

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot, bring stock to a slow boil; simmer until reduced by 1/3.
2. Dilute cornstarch in 1/4 cup water, add to stock and stir until it thickens.
3. Reduce stock to a simmer. Add spinach, bell pepper and chicken meat.
4. Add curry powder to taste. Check for flavor and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Add heavy cream, heat for a few more minutes and serve.
Makes 8 cups

Really simple and really tasty. It’s nice and light but still has some nice creaminess.

Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (about two large caps) finely chopped portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup of cream or half and half
• 1 cup of white wine
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Gluten Free Pasta

Preparation:
1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
2. Add the chopped shallots and fry for 3 – 4 minutes followed by the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
5. Stir all of the ingredients together and cook until the mushrooms have softened and darkened in color then turn the heat up on the stove and pour in the white wine and add parsley.

7. Stir the ingredients and cook until the wine had reduced by two-thirds, then reduce the heat and stir in the cream.

That’s all there is to it. It’s very simple and really pretty quick. The mushroom cream sauce has a really subtle sweetness to it, but it’s also very flavorful and adds a nice dimension to the gluten free pasta. There’s lots of great textures and the color is really nice as well. I think the gluten free pasta will be a fine replacement to the normal semolina. There is a notable taste difference, but covered in sauce it’s actually really nice.

See you next time.

The real secret is good chicken breasts and the right blend of Greek spices. The best in my opinion is the blend my mother uses, which we buy at Rafal Spice Company in Detroit’s Eastern Market area. You can order it online here.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Red onion – chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper – Diced
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper – Diced
• Black Olives – Diced
• Cherry Tomatoes – Halved
• 2 medium sized chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons of Greek Seasoning Mix
• 4 cups pre-packaged salad mix
• 2 tablespoons low-fat Greek Dressing
• 4 tablespoons Feta cheese

Preparation:
1. Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. As your pan is heating, coat both sides of chicken breasts with the Greek seasoning mix.

2. Dice vegetables and spray grill pan with non-stick spray. Grill chicken four minutes per side and grill veggies until tender. Turn chicken and remove from grill. Allow chicken to rest.

3. Slice chicken and add to salad. Distribute toppings and dress to your liking.

This is so simple and so good. Vita’s dinner is pictured below.

Not really a complex recipe, but it’s really, really tasty. It’s so much more fun to make your own grilled salads anyway.

For the first Souper Sunday, I’ll go with an awesome Roasted Tomato and Parmesan Soup. It takes a little while to do the roasting, but the payoff in flavor is definitely worth it. I borrowed the roasted tomato soup recipe from Kat over at A Good Appetite and modified it to add in the Parmesan and a little bit of a kick. Here’s how it’s done.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 yellow onions, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Halve your tomatoes and remove the seeds. You can do this easily with a spoon or a pairing knife.
2. Put the tomatoes, onions and garlic in a large baking pan. Coat with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Try to arrange the tomatoes so the cut sides are up.

3. Roast for 45 – 55 minutes until everything is soft and starting to brown. Allow to cool slightly.

4. Put the tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh herbs and any liquid in the roasting pan into a food processor. Purée until smooth.

5. Put purée into a large soup pot and add remaining ingredients. Add cheese slowly in small batches. If you want a little kick like I did, add the three tablespoons of crushed red pepper. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes before serving. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 big, tasty servings.

The cream sauce takes a very long time, and requires a lot of attention, but the payoff is ohhh so worth it. Here’s how you do it.

Ingredients:

• 2 10 ounce New York Strip steaks
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan bring the heavy cream to a full boil over medium-high heat. Once the cream has come to boil continue to boil rapidly for 45 to 50 minutes until it thickens. If you’ve never boiled cream before, it has a tendency to boil over VERY quickly. Make sure you stir it occasionally and keep an eye on it. This isn’t something you can set and forget.

2. As the cream begins to boil, rub your steaks in olive oil and give them a generous rub with salt and freshly ground pepper. After 35 minutes, toss your steaks onto a grill pan or on a traditional grill. Cook steak to your liking. I do about 4 to 5 minutes a side tops for a medium rare finish. Halfway through the grilling process, toss on 8 to 10 spears of asparagus and cook through.

3. Off the heat, add the Gorgonzola, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt and serve warm.

4. Plate your steaks and let the meat rest for approximately 4 minutes. Spoon Gorgonzola sauce over your steak and asparagus and grind two or three turns of freshly ground pepper over the top.

It’s a fantastic sauce and you’ll undoubtedly have leftovers. It’s great on crackers, grilled chicken or even as a salad dressing. Reheating it is VERY easy or you can have it cold.

If you must reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

Let me know if you try it… the sauce is really easy but tastes gourmet!

Ingredients:

• 2 large fillets Tilapia
• 1 large lime juiced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup of gold tequila
• 4 teaspoons southwest seasoning or Cholula dry seasoning
• 1/2 yellow pepper diced
• 1/4 red onion diced
• 1/4 cup of diced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Lightly season both sides of the Tilapia Fillets with seasoning.
2. Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat and add Tilapia fillets. Cook for two to three minutes and turn fish.
3. Briefly remove the fish from the pan, scrape up flakes and seasoning. Add vegetables and tequila. Simmer for two minutes and return fish to pan. Allow fish to rewarm before removing from heat and serving. Be sure fish is cooked through. It should be fork tender and flaky.

Another incredibly simple recipe that’s really big on flavor. The onions, the lime and the veggies really add something special to the fish. It’s also one of the fastest and most difficult things you can screw up. Goes really well with a rice pilaf or a Spanish rice. Veggies like asparagus or even potatoes are awesome with the lime, tequila sauce drizzled over the top as well.

If you try it, let me know how it goes.