Like I mentioned in the last post, my recipes will continue to expand your confidence and experience in the kitchen. Prepare to experience awesome food and prep work you never thought you could do! YOUR TASTE BUDS WILL LOVE YOU, and hopefully your family/friends will get a little satisfaction too!
GREAT TIP - You can find pretty much anything you need at Hy-Vee, and if you cant find it just use something else thats comparable!
#6 Summer Squash/Zucchini Risotto
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2-3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled zuchinni AND summer squash (or whatever veggie you want
- diced garlic and onions (how ever much you prefer)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups arborio rice (rice isle of the grocery store)
- 4 14-ounce cans (or more) broth (chicken, beef, or veggie)
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese OR MORE :)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add veggies and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer veggies to medium bowl.
Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and thyme to same pot and stir until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Return squash to pot. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in basil and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup couscous
- 1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 peppers, any color you want
- Hot water, as needed
Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)
#8 French onion soup
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced (food processor works great)
- 48 fluid ounce's chicken broth
- 14 ounce's beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley,1 sprig fresh thyme leaves, 1 bay leaf (dried herbs are fine)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 thick slices French or Italian bread
- 8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, room temperature
- 4 pinches paprika
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. Cook 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy.
- Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into pot. Bundle the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with twine and place in pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the herbs. Reduce the heat to low, mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.
- Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler.
- Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice toasted bread, 2 slice Gruyere cheese and 1/4 of the Asiago or mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.
- Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately!
