Spinach & Shrimp Risotto

Taken from Risotto with Spinach from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italy, and we took it to another level by adding shrimp and red bell peppers.
serves 6 or more

In Lidia Bastianich's latest cookbook, Lidia's Italy, she shares recipes from her favorite ten places in Italy. This springtime recipe for risotto with spinach comes from Friuli in northeast Italy and shows the basic risotto-making technique used in Friuli. Instead of spinach, she suggests using greens more common to the region, such as nettles, wild asparagus, or sclopit, if you can find them.  Have fun with it - hard to mess up Risotto!

Ingredients
10 ounces tender spinach leaves
6 to 8 cups water
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 cup white wine
additional:

1 red bell pepper

1/2 pound fresh shrimp (you can peel and devein or buy that pre done)

For finishing
6 tablespoons butter, in tablespoon-sized pieces
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing (we used a cup of Parm Reg)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Recommended Equipment
A 3-quart pot for hot water
A heavy 10-inch saucepan, such as an enameled cast-iron French oven

Procedure
1. Rinse and dry the spinach. Slice the leaves, a handful at a time, into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Heat the water in the pot almost to the boil. Cover, and keep it very hot on the stove, near the risotto pan.  If you choose to add a red bell and shrimp.  Cut up your bell pepper and saute shrimp with slices of fresh garlic and olive oil for about two minutes (one min. each side).  Set aside shrimp to cool.  Cut shrimp in fourths after it has cooled.

2. Put the olive oil, onions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the saucepan, set it over medium heat, and stir well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are wilted and starting to color. Pour in the rice all at once, raise the heat, and stir continuously for about 2 minutes, until the rice grains are toasted (not browned) and make a clicking sound in the pan. Pour in the wine, and keep stirring, all around the pan, until it has evaporated and the rice is dry.

3. Ladle in 2 cups of hot water, enough to cover the rice. Cook for a minute or two, stirring, then pile the shredded spinach on top of the rice, and stir steadily as the spinach wilts and the rice gradually absorbs almost all of the moisture, 5 minutes or more.

4. When you can see the bottom of the saucepan as you stir, ladle in more water to cover the rice, and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, as the risotto develops its creamy suspension. Again, when the liquid is almost completely absorbed, ladle in another cup or so of water.

5. After the risotto has cooked for 15 to 20 minutes and incorporated 6 cups of water, taste; add more salt or more hot water as needed. When done al dente and creamy, turn off the heat.

6. Drop in the butter pieces, stir vigorously, then beat in the 1/2 cup of grated cheese, and grind black pepper generously on top.  If you choose to add bell peppers ad those in at this point as well.

7.  Add the pre-sauted shrimp you have cut it up in fourths last.

8. Serve immediately in warm pasta bowls.

Whole Grilled Chicken with Wilted Arugula

Recipe by Thomas Keller
"I don't care if you're sophisticated, with a boatload of money," says Thomas Keller, "roasted chicken makes you feel wonderful." Cooking a whole chicken on the grill can be tricky, but Keller has perfected a method that uses indirect heat; he adds rosemary sprigs to the coals to infuse the smoke and flavor the chicken.



ACTIVE: 20 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients
1 bunch of rosemary sprigs
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, preferably free-range
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large bunch of arugula, large stems discarded
Quick Pickled Pearl Onions

Directions

Light a grill using 6 pounds of charcoal briquettes or 8 pounds of hardwood charcoal. When the flames have died down and the coals are white on the outside, divide the coals in half and push to each side of the grill, leaving the center empty. Top each pile of coals with half of the rosemary sprigs.

Season the chicken inside and out with a good amount of salt and pepper. Fold the wing tips under the back and tie the legs together. Set the chicken in the center of the grill, breast side up. Cover the grill and cook the chicken without turning for about 50 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh registers 160°. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the arugula and stir over moderately high heat just until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the arugula on a platter. Carve the chicken and arrange on the wilted arugula; serve with the Quick Pickled Pearl Onions.

Notes
Such a simple recipe relies on using a good quality chicken—preferably one that is antibiotic free. It is worth paying more for a pasture-raised chicken that spent time outdoors because it has the most flavor.

Roast Chicken Rick Bayless Style

Serves 4
1 whole chicken, about 3 1/4 pounds
2 cups Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Tangy Two-Chile Salsa
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey

Watercress, flat-leaf parsley or fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Rinse the chicken, pat dry with paper towels and place in a non-aluminum pan or in a large plastic food bag. Spoon on (or measure in) half of the salsa and turn the chicken to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a roasting pan; reserve the marinade that’s left behind in pan or bag. Brush the chicken with the oil, set in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Mix the honey with the reserved marinade and drizzle over the chicken. Return to the oven and roast until the thigh juices run clear when pierced deeply with a fork (an instant-read thermometer should register about 170° when inserted at the thickest part of the thigh), about 15 minutes more. If the chicken browns quickly, loosely cover with foil during the last few minutes of roasting.

Use a large fork and a spatula to help you transfer the chicken to a plate. Loosely tent with foil and let stand while you prepare the sauce. Spoon the rendered fat off the juices that have collected in the pan, then stir in the remaining salsa. Set over medium heat and stir, scraping up all the delicious browned bits in the pan, as the salsa comes to a simmer. Scrape the warm salsa into a sauce dish. Carve the chicken and arrange on a warm serving platter. Garnish with the watercress, parsley or cilantro and you’re ready to serve, passing the sauce separately for each guest to spoon on.

Recipe from Salsas That Cook by Rick Bayless with JeanMarie Brownson and Deann Groen Bayless.

We made rice and put some fresh cilantro in it and the chicken sauce on top.  To the right we've got Bo looking at the chicken.  YUM!

Lidia's Italy

Lidia is a chef that knows Italian Cooking.  We want to try her restaurant in KC or one of her NYC ones the next time we visit.  We were given her Italian Table cook book from a friend, and we recently bought Lidia's Italy.  Last night we made a delcious recipe from our new book - Fusilli and Roasted Tomatoes.  Not to many of her recipes aren't online.  Her books are worth having, her restaurants worth visiting, and her food worth trying!  Lidia does indeed know Italy!

Photos From KC Restaurant:

website

blog

Dinner Last night

Up In The Air

Jim went flying recently with our friend Alex, and this is some of what he saw........

No Mess, No Hassle Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

What you Need:

A 9 x 12 pan

Box of 12 ice cream sandwiches -Blue Bunny or Yarnell (can use no/low fat)

Whip Cream

Topping: Hot Fudge/Carmel

Fill the pan with the ice cream sandwiches and top with whip cream. Freeze for at least two hours. Put topping on before serving.

VOILA!

We made this for my grandfather's birthday this week!

Bo In The Snow

Chapel Where We Got Engaged

A Valentine's Memory

Six years ago on Valentines Day we got engaged! Below is an exert from an email that was drafted by Suzanne for her friends.......

"......I walked into the chapel and there were two dozen roses and 100 tea lights, 4 tea lights to every one rose in the shape of a heart. In the middle of the heart, Jim bent down on one knee, and pulled a letter from his pocket. With music playing in the background he began to speak - he ended asking me to marry him while simultaneously pulling out “the box”. I screamed and reached for the ring…."Now hold on," he said, as he took the ring and placed it on my finger."

Happy Valentines Day!

Early Valentine's Suprise

Diaper Cakes

The last two years of my life have been filled with precious baby showers for dear friends. And a diaper cake is one of those things that seems to be a staple at each one. Each one being fun, creative, and unique. I don't think I've ever seen two just exactly alike.

Instructions:

Baby Diapers - package of 56 (any size)
Clear Hair rubber bands
Double sided sticky tape or hot glue gun (I prefer hot glue gun)
Bigger rubber bands
Ribbon
2 8 oz baby bottles or 2 baby lotion bottles etc.

Candy To Go In Bottles (optional)

1.) Start rolling up diapers and put a clear rubber band around each of them.

2.) First Base is three rows of diapers wrapped around a bottle/lotion that will make the bottom layer - a big rubber band goes around those. (put candy in the bottle - optional)

3.) Second base has 2 rows of diapers wrapped around a baby lotion or bottle. The second bottle doesn't have treats because it will hold the flowers or you could put candy again or use baby lotion and put a bow on top. Have fun and be creative.

4.) The top layer has just one row around the top of the bottle or baby lotion.

5.) Put ribbon of choice around each tier. Secure the ribbon with tape or glue gun. (glue gun preferred)

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwiwZxHNPGU

http://www.creative-baby-shower-ideas.com/how-to-make-a-diaper-cake.html

http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com/diaper-cake.html

Monogramming Etiquette

Female Monograms:
For most, the conventional monogram for women consist of three letters with a larger letter in the middle flanked by two smaller letters on each side. Traditionally, the larger middle letter is for the last name, the smaller letter on the left is for the first name and the smaller letter on the right is for either the middle name or maiden name.

Example:

Name: Sydney Rachel Wilson
Monogram: SWR

Male Monograms:

The traditional monogram for a man is a horizontal monogram. Each letter is the same height and appears in the same order as the actual name -- first name, middle name, last name.

Example:

Samuel Nathan Wallace

Monogram: SNW (all letters being the same usually in a block font)

Couple Monogram:
Traditionally when the bride takes the groom's last name, the monogram is bride's First Name Inital, the couples last name inital, groom's first name inital. Like at the wedding - brides side is to the left, groom's side is to the right. Or you could choose to do a single monogram just using the first inital of their last name.

Example:
Bride First Name: Samantha

Groom First Name: Ned

Last Name: Wilson

The Single Letter Initial: a guideline of when to use the first or last initial.

Jewelry, Handbags, Bath wraps, etc for females: Inital of the female's name.

Glassware, Soap, or Candles: name of the female, male, or couple.

Stamps and Embossers: Female: either the first or last initial - the trend leans more towards the first. If the stamp is for a man or a couple the last name is suggested. wels: Same rule mentioned for stamps.

Towels: Same as with stamps and embossers - for a female either the first or last initial (with the first being more popular). For a couple the last name is generally more appropriate.