Miso Risotto. It's New!!

Well, hello there. Despite the late-summer heat, I really felt like a bowl-full of something warm and comforting yesterday. I had the idea of making risotto using miso broth rather than vegetable or chicken broth, to which I added some fresh veggies. Well, I was right: this dish really hit the spot! Not sure whether the "miso risotto" idea is an original one or not, but it was new to me and quite tasty if I do say so myself... :-) We usually go for brown rice miso or garbanzo miso rather than soy-based miso (we're not big soy fans in our house due to my hubby's thyroid issues), but of course, please feel free to use the miso of your choice! It is a free miso country, after all... :-) Here's my recipe. Enjoy!

MISO RISOTTO WITH PEAS & TOMATOES

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1/3 cup finely-diced yellow onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups Arborio rice

4 cups miso broth

1 cup fresh or frozen petite green peas

1 roma tomato, diced

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high flame. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, place rice into a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Add rice to pan; continue cooking and stirring for about five more minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Place miso broth into a saucepan and heat over medium-low flame. Add warm broth to rice mixture one ladle-full at a time, stirring well after each addition. After all broth has been added, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until rice is just tender. Add peas, tomatoes, Parmesan and pine nuts, stirring to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finish with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Serve warm.

Coconut-Cornflake Fried Chicken

Greetings! I put this chicken recipe together yesterday — I was wanting something sweet/spicy and substantial to go with our fresh veggies (cucumber/ onion/dill salad and sliced tomatoes from our friends' garden). It turned out quite tasty, and really hit the spot on a warm summer afternoon. Enjoy. :-)

COCONUT-CORNFLAKE FRIED CHICKEN

4 to 6 boneless & skinless chicken breast tenderloin strips

2/3 cup cornflake cereal

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Rinse chicken, pat dry, and cut each tenderloin strip into two or three pieces. Set aside. Place cornflakes into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to create coarse crumbs. Add coconut, chili powder and black pepper. Pulse again two or three times to combine. Place this mixture into a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, whisk the egg until smooth. Add mayonnaise and water and continue whisking until well combined.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip half of the chicken pieces into egg mixture, then into crumb mixture (turning to coat both sides), then place into hot skillet. Cook three to six minutes per side until cooked through and golden. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve warm.

Happy 4th & Tex-Mex Lasagna

Just popping in to say Happy Birthday to America! It's been a lovely, quiet holiday weekend here at my house—just the hubby and I running errands, working on various projects, and doing plenty of relaxing. I made this Tex-Mex Lasagna for our dinner last night and a friend asked for the recipe, so here it is! The photo shows the lasagna before it was baked. I forgot to take an "after" photo - so sorry. This is one of those dishes that's actually better on day two, after the flavors have blended a bit. Enjoy, and God Bless America!

TEX-MEX LASAGNA

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced

2 teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes

1 can (4 ounces) diced green chilies

2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce

1 can (15 ounces) whole-kernel corn, drained

1 can (4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained

18 small (3-inch) corn tortillas

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan, then add ground beef and onions. Cook and stir for two to three minutes, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon. Add Roma tomatoes and spices; continue cooking until beef is no longer pink. Add black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, green chilies, tomato sauce, and corn. Stir and bring to a simmer for about ten minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 glass baking pan with nonstick spray. Spoon a small amount of meat/sauce mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange six tortillas in a single layer over the sauce. Add more sauce over the tortillas, followed by a dollop of yogurt on each tortilla. Sprinkle on a small amount of cheese, followed by a few olive slices. Repeat these layers until pan is filled, ending with cheese and olives on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Serve warm with guacamole and a large green salad if desired.  

Well, hello friends! Nothing like neglecting this blog for the past three months. Busy much? Life is speeding by, that's for sure! But, we are good and feeling blessed.

This was our dinner last night. Rich worked until late, we were both tired after a long week, and I thought this would be a light yet soothing meal. It hit the spot! Grab a fork — yummmm.

MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH PEAS

1 cup Arborio Rice

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup diced yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, halved & sliced

1 to 2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

3 tablespoons prepared pesto

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Salt & black pepper to taste

Rinse rice, cover with clean water and let soak for thirty minutes. Rinse rice again. Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add rice, onions and garlic. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for five minutes. Add mushrooms and continue cooking for five more minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer. Place broth into a small saucepan over low heat. Add broth to rice mixture one ladle-full at a time, stirring well after each addition, until rice is tender (should take approximately 20 minutes). Stir in remaining ingredients, adjust seasonings, and serve warm. (preferably in a bowl, with a big spoon, on the sofa with the lights dimmed — maybe with an additional pat of butter on top?)... you get the picture. :-)