Monthly Archives: October 2011

Manchego, Herb, and Sun-Dried Tomato Scones

When I was 24, I lived in Denver, Colorado, worked two jobs and lived paycheck to paycheck. Since I couldn’t afford to eat out at restaurants, I cooked at home a lot and ended up often making scones. I’m not really sure why but I think this was the beginning of my curiosity on how to make food I’d never made before. Now, whenever I make scones, I think of that tiny kitchen in that tiny studio apartment on Poet’s Row that I called home. I thought of that time again when I made these Manchego, Herb, and Sun-Dried Tomato Scones. Scones are a quick bread and since they don’t have yeast, they are easy to make. These are baked with sun-dried tomatoes, manchego cheese, and basil. The sun-dried tomatoes are little bursts of flavor in these scones, the basil adds an herby freshness and the cheese provides a slightly nutty undertone. Eat these plain, toasted, or with a little butter for breakfast, as a snack or a nice side to any dish.

The ingredients:

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter.

Mix in chopped sun-dried tomatoes, shredded cheese, and basil.

Stir in buttermilk and egg whites until just combined. Don’t overmix.

Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4 times.

Pat the dough into a round disk and cut into 8 wedges.

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone

Last week, I was in San Diego for a work conference and had dinner one evening with a group of people at a restaurant called Searsucker. Because this restaurant has a lot of meat dishes and I’m incredibly picky when it comes to meat, I settled on a very delicious dish of barley risotto with mushrooms and manchego. This dish reminded me that I had a recipe for Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone tucked away in my recipe book that I needed to make soon. Of course, food made at home is generally never as good as in a restaurant but this one comes pretty darn close. Arborio rice is cooked with garlic, shallot, and white wine (I used chardonnay) before being simmered in a mushroom broth and topped with mascarpone cheese. I have to admit, I’m not the biggest mushroom lover (it’s a texture thing) but I like the flavor of mushrooms. Dried porcini mushrooms look downright nasty but they provide a ton of flavor for the broth. This recipe calls for beef broth but I used chicken broth instead and it worked out fine. I’m sure beef broth provides an added depth to the dish so I’d say stick with it if you like it. As I’ve mentioned before, risotto can’t be rushed and is a slow process so take your time. This comforting dish is worth it.

If you like this, check out Risotto Primavera.

The ingredients:

Reconstitute the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the mushroom water. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the liquid with chicken (or beef) broth and simmer in a small saucepan. Chop mushrooms and set aside.

In a large saucepan, sauté rice, garlic, and shallot for 5 minutes. Add in the white wine and cook until it evaporates.

Slowly add in the warm broth mixture in small portions, letting each portion absorb completely before adding the next portion. Stir frequently to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once all broth has been completely absorbed, add in chopped mushrooms, parmesan cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine until cheese melts.

Top with mascarpone cheese and serve.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Chicken broth for beef broth

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry

I’m a sucker for stir-fry so this Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry was a no-brainer. The original recipe from Cooking Light is actually a beef stir-fry but since I don’t eat beef, I adapted it to my liking and boy, do I like it! Thin slices of chicken are cooked and then mixed with a salty, sweet, spicy sauce and then with baby spinach. Yum! If you are watching your carbs, or even if you aren’t, please consider making this. You could easily serve it over rice to make it an even heartier meal but I like it just the way it is. The stir-fry sauce is very tasty with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper. Because crushed red pepper doesn’t give me the kick of heat that I usually want, next time I make this (and there will be a next time!) I’ll probably substitute it with hot chili sauce like sriracha or cayenne pepper but if you have a sensitive tongue, you can leave it out altogether. If you don’t like spinach, the versatility of this recipe allows you to switch up the ingredients. Try making it with broccoli, or if you want it make it vegetarian, try this sauce with any of your favorite veggie combinations.