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.