Risotto, an easier side dish than you think

Have you ever watched Hell's Kitchen? The one with Gordon Ramsay looking for a new head chef for one of his bazillion restaurants and he pretty much yells at you and throws things at the chefs. That one, it comes on Fox, but man don't I love it. My mom thinks I am weird for loving a show where the main person is yelling and screaming at the cooks and in her words "degrading", but my Dad and I LOVE IT and think it's so funny. I also mainly love it for the cooking and the challenges. (Master Chef is also a great show to!!) On a side note, if you have never worked in a restaurant you have no idea how tense it can get in the kitchen, yelling happens. Hence why you grow tough skin when you get burned, to protect you from all the yelling.

One of my Favorite shows.

 Well the reason why I bring up Hell's Kitchen is one of the sides I see the chef's make 95% of the time and seem to screw it up 93.4567% of the time (just trust my math, he-he) is Risotto. It is a very simple dish to make, hence why I couldn't comprehend why these guys can mess it up so much. Before we go into the nitty gritty let me give you a very brief history of Risotto. Risotto is a short grain rice that was introduced to Spain and Italy by the Arabs during the Middle Ages. Italy was most ideal to grow this rice because of the humidity and flat land and quickly became an Italian staple. Believe it or not, Italians also love to take their time with their food to make sure that the flavors are absorbed and cherished (hence why an Italian dinner party can last for hours, trust me I know from first hand experience).

Now let's get started on this lovely dish. This is another dish that you can make your own, add or subtract veggies or change the flavors. Play with it, add saffron or fresh basil. It's truly hard to screw up Risotto. It just takes a little longer than normal rice and some additional stirring, but by the end, you can impress your friends and they will believe you are a gourmet chef!

Here are the things you are going to need:

1. 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Aborio (risotto) rice. This will make a lot, it's just like rice, it will double or triple in size.
2. 1 quart of broth, Chicken, vegetable or beef. I usually use what is going to complement my main dish.
3. Optional: vegetables to saute, such as mushrooms, peas, or spinach. 
4. A little olive oil
5. Optional: wine

Yup that's it, really four items. Ok let's get started. Get a medium saute pan. With a little olive oil saute your veggies. I picked mushrooms. After they have been sauteed to satisfaction, add the Aborio. Yes dry, trust me. Let the Aborio saute a little until you can smell an almond or nutty scent.

Saute it dry first

While the mushrooms are sauteing, start on your broth. I usually recommend that it is warmed up. I used the powdered broth or the stuff from the carton. Heat up about a quart of broth.

 

Now that your broth is ready, pour a little into your risotto pan, about a quarter of the liquid. With a spoon stir the risotto and mix it all in together. You don't have to stir the risotto all the time but  keep an eye on it because you do not want it to stick. You want the risotto to absorb the flavors.

When you first add

When you mix it all together

Then when the liquid is fully absorbed and there is no liquid in the pan, add more and repeat. You are going to do this till you are out of broth (3-4 times) and till the risotto is nice a creamy. If you stir often enough and use enough liquid, you should be able to avoid lumps. When you get lumps Gorden Ramsay comes to your house and throws the pan against something a disgrace. And you don't want to be a disgrace by Gordon Ramsay.

Last set of sauce

End product

If you are not a creamy stage and you need just that extra ounce of liquid, this is where vino comes in. Not sure what wine to use, chicken broth and veggie = white (chardonnay goes well) and beef =red. Stir it in and Viola, Bam,  or Poof the Magical Dragon if you prefer, your Risotto is done. It goes great as a side or as a main dish. I grate a little fresh Romano or Parm over it, that is some excellent cooking there.

So now get your application for Master Chef (Gordon is nicer there) or the Hell's Kitchen because you know how to cook Risotto. Now go home, sit down with a glass of wine and pat your self on the back because you made it better than the others show screw up 93.4567% of the time. Live, Laugh, and Love!!!

SMASHED Potatoes

So I have been talking about them long enough, here is a super awesome easy side if you need something easy and cheap. I call 'em SMASHED potatoes. When I told Hubby, he got so excited (I promise you he acts 6 or 12 half the time, depends on the day) because he got to smash something. This is a fun dish to do with little ones (or those who act like little ones at heart) or even after your have had a stressful day. What you do in your own home is your own business, I don't need to see and I won't judge, lol.

Alright here is what you are going to need:
Red Potatoes, about 1-2 per person. Maybe 3 if you are really hungry.
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Any bake potato fixings you like.
Set your oven to 350

So start off boiling your potatoes. You do not want them over done to where you can mash them, but you want them done enough to where you can slide a knife or fork in and out of it easily.

As always, drizzle your pan with a little olive oil

Easiness of moving the fork in and out of the potatoe

So once your potatoes tender, then place them on your oiled up pan. You don't want them cramped and right next to each other. It's ok to give them a little breathin' room, trust me they will appreciate it in the long run.

I Crush, I mean SMASH, you!

 Now here is the fun part! Take your potato masher and SMASH them once in each direction. You want them to crack open for you and succumb to your power of the SMASH. (Can you tell we had fun making this side?)

 Next drizzle a little olive oil over your newly smashed potatoes.

 Now add some salt, pepper, maybe some chopped green onion. Don't add cheese if you want to do that yet. After you have seasoned to your hearts desire, go ahead and place your Smashed beauties into the oven at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. You just want them to firm/crisp up a little, so don't go crazy.

So after they are done you can add your other fixings to them. Hubby hates sour cream so we usually don't buy it (I know he is weird). If you want to add some cheese and you want it a little melted. Take out your potatoes about 3 minutes early and put it on them and put back for the remaining time. Well as always Live, Laugh, Love!!!