Easy Risotto for 2 Days

Easy Risotto Two Ways

Mushroom and Pea Risotto in Spaghetti Squash Bowls:

Had a small spaghetti squash and only about 1 cup of risotto left.  Thought about making the rest of the risotto ahead of time so I picked up some mushrooms last time I was at the store (love mushroom risotto). 

Cut the squash in half lengthwise.  The only hard thing about cooking with winter squash is cutting it!  Be careful.  Scoop out inside, oil the bottom and top and place 'meat' side down on cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 or so degrees for about 30 minutes or until soft.

Saute onion and mushrooms (and/or anything you want in your risotto) in oil until getting translucent, add some salt, pepper, and other spices you like, then toast the dry risotto for a couple minutes.  At this point there are some good brown nibblets stuck to bottom of pan and you can 'deglaze' this with any liquid.  Wine, vermouth, or vinegar are good options.  Then add some water or broth, just enough to cover the bottom and get it going.  You will need roughly 3x as much liquid as risotto. 

Let this simmer and soak up the liquid, stir frequently and keep adding broth/water as necessary.  I added tarragon because I think it tastes good with mushrooms, but also could use sage or any other herb.  Towards the end add the frozen peas (or any other frozen vegetable you want) and let them simmer for the last several minutes.  Taste the risotto to see if it is cooked through.  Just keep cooking and adding liquid as needed until done.
Usually risotto is finished with grated Parmesan.  I had my very favorite cheese, raw sharp cheddar so I grated some of that.

Risotto a la tomato soup:

Couldn't believe 1 cup of risotto lasted until day 2 but there was a good portion size leftover.  I refrained from eating this for lunch and instead made it into another dinner.

Enter: Amy's tomato soup.  Open soup can, pour into pan.  Then dump leftovers into pan.  Heat over medium low until hot.  Serve with bread (I toasted Ezekial with butter).  Done and done!

And for tonight's trick, Cody cooks!

Yes!  Thank you.  Just wasn't in the mood to cook tonight. 

He wanted to make oven fries with the rest of our potatoes.  We have lettuce that needs eaten stat!  So fries (cut and coat potatoes with oil and seasonings, bake at 425 degrees)and a salad...we need protein source:  Amy's chili was on sale last time I was at store, perfect. 

Soup, salad, and fries.  Sounds good to me!

lentils, rice, and avocado

The simplest, healthiest, most delicious meal!

Hadn't thought about dinner all day.  Cody mentioned beans and rice. Didn't have time to make beans so lentils and rice it is!  Our staple meal around here. 

I decided to go 'mujadara' style.  After I measured 1 cup each of  lentils and brown rice and dumped them in the pot with 4 cups water, I added lots of cumin and garlic powder (not garlic salt), salt and a lot of fresh cracked black pepper.  I also added some smoked pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low until done. 

We had 2 ripe avocados.  I diced one on top of our bowls, it was creamy and flavorful and made the dish complete!  With urgings from Henry's highchair, we cracked open the 2nd...just as delicious!   Add some cholula or salsa if you prefer.  I thought it would be good with a wedge of lime squeezed on top.  The vitamin C in the lime would also help our bodies absorb more of the iron from the lentils.  Next time!

chicken noodle soup week (yes I said 'chicken.')

After much urging from acupuncturist and craving it since pregnancy, I decided it was worth a try for my health to make chicken noodle soup ("not the chicken that is killed after 45 days, the chicken at Whole Foods" he says).  Cody said he would support me as he likes the idea of a 'cohesive' kitchen.  No 2 different meals going on here.

I have literally never cooked meat in all my life.  No joke.  I stopped eating it shortly after moving out of my parents.  So, here is probably the easiest chicken noodle soup recipe, although it may not be 'right' it was tasty!

I didn't even know where the meat section was at Whole Foods, and after seeing how lost I was, the butcher offered to chop the thigh meat up for me so I didn't have to do anything with it at home, yes!

I filled a large pot halfway with water and turned it on to get to a boil.  Meanwhile I chopped up a couple carrots and kale.  Did not have onion or celery.  I also chopped up about an inch of fresh ginger.  Then I added the vegetables, ginger, and chicken to the pot with the water.  salt and pepper to taste.  When it came to a boil I added some whole wheat pasta and cooked until done.  The chicken pieces were big so this was good amount of cook time.  If smaller, add pasta with everything else.  It was very good!  A little weird to eat for us, but good.