Category Archives: cooking

risotto rice pudding

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Our weather seems to have fallen into a routine of blizzard one week and thunderstorms the next.  It has made for a strange February that has left me with a touch of cabin fever.  The past couple of days have been grey and windy and I thought a bit of comfort food might be in order.

arborio rice

This is an adaptation of my maternal grandmother’s recipe.  She made it with standard rice, but it is cooked like a risotto so I usually use arborio rice for mine.

simmering rice in milk for rice pudding

risotto rice pudding

1 cup uncooked arborio rice

milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Place rice in large heavy bottomed saucepan and cover with 2″ of milk (2% works best)

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to keep it from scorching on the bottom.  Keep adding milk as necessary to keep the mixture loose and easy to stir.  After simmering for 30 minutes, taste to be sure the rice is cooked.  Once the rice is cooked, add the sugar and vanilla.

I sometimes serve it with gingersnap cookies for dessert.  You can add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon when you add the vanilla, if you like a little spice.  If you are a raisin fan, you can also add 1/4 cup of raisins.

risotto rice pudding in bowl

balls of cheesy goodness

11 Sunday Mar 2012

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That’s what lulu calls them. When I tell her I’m making them she jumps around shouting for joy. Fingers crossed she is always that easy to please.

fried bocconcini

1 container of bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls)

1/2 cup flour in shallow dish

3 eggs beaten in separate dish

2 cups panko crumbs in another shallow dish

salt

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon oregano

oil for frying (I use peanut or canola depending on what I find in my pantry)

Get your oil heating. I use my stock pot to fry these so there’s less splattering. Just pour a couple of inches of oil in the pan, along with a deep-fat thermometer and while the oil is heating you can prep the cheese.

Mix the salt, thyme, and oregano into the panko and set aside.

Drain the cheese and place on plate lined with paper towels and roll the bocconcini around to dry them off.

Dredge the cheese in the flour.

Then dip in the egg mixture to coat and roll in panko crumbs. I usually leave mine in the panko dish until I’m ready to fry.

When your oil is a 360 degrees you can start frying. I find cooking them in two batches works best. It takes about 45 seconds to 1 minute for each batch. The are best eaten right away, which really isn’t a problem. I like mine with a warm marinara, but lulu loves to eat them with ketchup. I’m considering enrolling her in a 12 step program for her ketchup addiction.

pasta with cream sauce and whatever

20 Monday Feb 2012

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Last Friday, that thing happened when you realize you have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table for your family and you have no plan…at all…zero…zilch.

Somehow between the pantry and the fridge I was able to together and on the table in time.

When my herbs are growing, I’m going to try this with dill instead of the parsley.  I’m thinking this would also be great with cooked chicken in place of the salmon, cubed pieces of butternut squash in place of the peas, and crumbled sage for the herb.

pasta with cream sauce and whatever

10 ounces of pasta (I used farfalle)

2 Tablespoons and 5 Tablespoons of butter divided

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup heavy cream

1 can cooked salmon

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (divided into half)

nutmeg

parsley

Cook the pasta in salted water for 10 – 12 minutes.  Drain.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 2 Tablespoons butter, stir in frozen peas and cook until tender.  (5 minutes or so)

Add remaining butter and cream and stir occasionally.  When the mixture is warm, add salmon and one half cup of the parmesan.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes and then add drained pasta.

Stir in remaining cheese and herbs.

Set the table it’s time to eat.

the neglectful blogger

06 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in cooking, sewing

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hi

 

I’ve been sewing, honest, I have.  I’ve been sewing so much that a lot of other things have been thrown by the wayside.  Important things like taking pictures of projects and writing posts and ironing.

I’m doing surprisingly well at keeping up with my 365.

 

These are a couple of photos from February.

I’m also following along with Faith’s Solstice series over at Fresh Lemons Quilts.

Here’s what I have so far…

I’m loving how they are coming together.