Lombardy Risotto with Zucchini

I feel I have too much experience in the kitchen to not have tried out a Risotto until I was 27 years old...but the truth is, I had never made a Risotto until this very year.

And there's always been a lot of hype regarding Risottos.

And now I get it.
I totally get it!

Freaking. Delicious. Nuff. Said.

Confession:

Growing up, a common weeknight meal centered around pan-fried meat, a canned veggie and box of either Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni.

Risotto is like Rice-A-Roni. On steroids. With pizzazz. And without preservatives.

Every bite was a heavenly reminder of what childhood family dinner was...or could have been.

(Honestly, not complaining - I had the luxury of consistent meals, AT HOME...WITH MY FAMILY, that's pretty awesome and my parents actually taught me a lot about cooking and loving food, so more power to a box of Rice-A-Roni!)

Ingredients/Directions: 
From  Cuisine of the Alps

Remove stems from 3 small Zucchini and slice thinly. In a large skillet melt 2 Tbsp. Butter over medium high heat. Add the zucchini slices, saute 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add 2 more Tbsp. Butter and saute 1/2 cup minced Onions and 1-2 cloves of crushed Garlic for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup short-grain Rice, saute until grains become golden. Pour in 2 cups of Broth. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add 1 more cup of Broth, the zuchini, and 1 cup finely chopped Parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until all the liquid is absorbed. Add remaining 1 cup of Broth. Continue cooking a little longer, until the rice is just tender. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp. Butter and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese. Serve while still moist and creamy.

Pumpkin Cauliflower Curry

Extended Shelf Life for: Pumpkin, Cauliflower

Sometimes, I just put things together because it makes sense in my head and I look at a handful of recipes just to be sure it's worked out in somebody else's head at some point in history and then I simply go for it.

This is one of those recipes, so you know what that means...I didn't measure.

Except, I kind of did because I'd already frozen the cauliflower (1 cup) and pureed pumpkin (2 cups) and I used a single, normal sized can of coconut milk (maybe 14-16oz?) The part I didn't measure then, was of course the spices...go figure. But here's what I used, lots of curry, some cumin, cayenne, a dash of cinnamon, and salt. If I would have had other Indian spices, I would have used them as well, such as turmeric or graham-masala. Then, I simmered it all on the stove top, prepared some rice and we had a ridiculously quick, delicious dinner, just like that!

Ginger Snap Peas and Sausage

Extended Shelf Life for: Sugar Snap Peas

A recent dive left the man and I enjoying many lunch boxes filled with random leftovers and sugar snap peas or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with sugar snap peas. It had honestly been quite some time since we'd last enjoyed this little vegetable morsel of joy and in the week of munching on these salvaged goods we were reminded just how delicious they are.

Before they earned the right to be in the dumpster, I decided to whip up a quick dinner by cooking some sausage in my cast iron skillet and tossing about 3 cups of Sugar Snap Peas in the Wok with Butter, Ginger and Garlic, Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve this all on a bed of rice and you have yourself a nice weeknight meal!

Cauliflower Pancakes with Avocado Sauce

Extended Shelf Life for: Cauliflower and Avocado's

In our house, the man is not entirely convinced that cauliflower is a delicious and delectable vegetable. Which means, when it's dived or brought to us from our neighbors CSA share, I have got to do some quick thinking and make it seem as little like cauliflower as possible. Having spent enough time on Pinterest to be aware of 'cauliflower pizza crust' I quickly changed my mind when I realized that making this particular crust would require going out and purchasing cheese which, frankly, I was not interested in doing. So, I did a bit more research and finally concluded that Cauliflower Pancakes were to be the menu item, served on rice with those nice Red Onions I'd recently preserved and an Avocado Sauce, seeing how we had a few of those lying around in need of eating and using.

Ingredients and Directions:

Cauliflower Pancakes from About.com

In a large soup pot, boil a few inches of water before adding 1 head of Cauliflower florets. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, until Cauliflower is tender.

Drain Cauliflower and mash with a fork, leaving a little bit of texture. Add 3 beaten Eggs and about 1/2 cup of Wheat Flour until you have a pancake-consistency batter. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet, spoon some batter onto the hot skillet. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side making sure to smash them down to ensure they are thin enough to cook all the way through. Remove from heat when they are golden on both sides and no longer floppy and doughy.

 Avocado Sauce from For the Love of Cooking

In a food processor, blender or quality juicer (which has mincing abilities) combine: 1 ripe avocado, 1/3 cup fresh Cilantro, 2 cloves Garlic, 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Juice from 1 Lime, Salt and Pepper to taste.

Serve Cauliflower Pancakes over rice topped with preserved red onions and avocado sauce, enjoy!

Chinese Style Eggplant and Potatoes

Extended Shelf Life: Eggplant, Potato, Bell Pepper, Onion, Jalapeno

While living in South Korea we discovered two things: a) Every nation has a different take on Chinese food and b) Authentic Chinese food, when discovered, is absolutely, friggin' fantastic! While living in Daejeon, we discovered a fantastic little Chinese restaurant which our British friend described as being 'Proper". Within minutes of having our plates set before us we realized that 'Proper Chinese' was the best Chinese. 

So, when a wealth of eggplants landed in my sink, I was quick to remember a tasty eggplant and potato dish and went to searching for a recipe which would bless our taste buds and remind us of a meal, and people, we dearly loved.

Ingredients/Directions:

Original Recipe and inspiration from MiJoRecipes

Heat oil (enough to nearly cover potatoes and eggplants when being fried, you'll definitely need to be adding more throughout the process) over medium heat. When oil is ready (sizzles when sprinkled with water) deep fry the potato until golden and crispy. Next, fry the eggplant until beautifully browned. In a wok, heat 1 Tbsp. Oil, saute the bell pepper and 1 diced Jalapeno until tender. Add the previously fried potatoes and eggplant. In a small dish, mix together 1 1/2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce, 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar, and 2 cloves minced Garlic. Pour over vegetables and heat through until aromatic. Serve over rice and bust out the chopsticks!

For more on Eggplants and other recipe inspiration check out my more detailed and interactive Squidoo Lens: The Art of Salvaging {Eggplant}

Crockpot Chicken Lentil Chili

When preparing to move to the other side of the world, there seems to be a steady realization that there are food items which have been begging to enter the home-dweller's bellies.

And so I found myself accessing my 99 or so Kindle cookbooks (all free downloads...don't worry) to find a way to use up some major lentils.

This Chicken and Lentil Chili was top notch!

Directions/Ingredients:
Original Recipe thanks to The Everything Healthy Cooking for Parties by Linda Larsen.

Combine 2 chopped Onions, 5 minced Cloves of Garlic and 2 chopped Carrots in the bottom of 4-5 qt. Slow Cooker. Sprinkle with a seasoning mix of 3 Tbsp. Chili Powder, 1/2 tsp. Cumin, 1 tsp. Basil, Salt and Pepper.

Top with 1 1/2 cups Dry Lentils, 1/2 cup Brown Rice and 1 lb. Chicken Breasts. Pour 3 cups Diced Tomatoes (fresh or canned) over all. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup Tomato Paste with 1 cup of the Chicken Stock; stir until tomato paste dissolves. Add to crockpot along with additional 3 cups Chicken Stock and 3 cups Water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with sour cream (plain homemade yogurt) and salsa if desired.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

I've always appreciated a hearty salad in the summer, but living in South Korea, I NEED a hearty salad in the summer. I need salad because it's not a hot meal nor a heavy meal and it fits summer perfectly. This Black-Eyed Pea Salad was delicious on it's own and absolutely fantastic served over/mixed with some brown rice.

Ingredients/Directions:

From Love of Cooking: Salads

Prepare 1 lb. of dried black-eyed peas (I soak my beans over night in the slow-cooker, rinse in the morning, cover with water and cook on low all day, 8-10 hours). Drain and Rinse. In a small sauce pan heat up 1/4 cup Sugar, 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 clove of Garlic, minced and a shake of Black Pepper, heat until sugar has melted. Cool this dressing to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the black-eyed peas with 2 Bell Peppers (Red and Yellow will yeild the most appealing salad), 1 Onion (again, red is preferred) and 1/2 cup chopped Celery if available.  Toss with dressing and chill salad before serving!

Sweet Pork Fried Rice

Fried rice is an easy go-to dish, especially with some pulled pork, rice pilaf and rosted veggies waiting patiently in the freezer to be used. My day of cooking back in September is still serving us in May - I could be embarassed by this, but I will choose to be proud that food stays in our freezer for ridiculous amounts of time ^^

In the Korean grocery store it is a simple task to find 'bulgogi marinade' a kind of sweet sauce for one of my personal favorite Korean meats. Therefore, with marinade in hand and a thawed baggie of pork, rice (plus an additional cup left over from a previous meal) and roasted peppers and onions, I went to work re-heating and preparing, topping the whole thing off with some monteray jack cheese and a fried egg!

Seaweed Dinner Wraps

The meal and the chef that inspired me ^^

In Korea, it is not highly uncommon to enjoy a variety of vegetables, a meat and some lettuce to wrap everything up in. Many of the man and my favorite meals involve just that, wrapping meat in lettuce. Recently, a friend of ours invited us over for dinner and had a sort of mini-buffet of deliciously marinaded meat, a variety of vegetables, rice and seaweed and lettuce for creating wraps. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious and inspiring! You can definitely go about this type of meal anyway you wish, our friend included Muenster cheese with her wraps which was fantastic! Ours were a bit more simple just because...it's what I had time for. This particular dinner I cooked up some thinly sliced pork (dae-pae samgyupsal - similar to bacon but uncured), mixed in some bulgogi marinade and a sliced onion for the meat dish. For the vegetables I served up thinly sliced carrots and cucumbers as well as a beautiful mix of sprouts I got at our little grocery store. Throw in some rice and have some lettuce or seasoned seaweed ready to go and you're all set for a most delicious and enjoyable dinner!

Puppy Rice Bowls

For awhile now, I've been wanting to feed our sweet pup nutritious, real food. She's never been that pumped about her kibble and I can't say I blame her. I'm quite confident one can feed their animals with relative ease and great affordability while all the while making for a much happier and grateful pet-friend.

 You'll find the internet littered with various recipes and ideas, advice for and against feeding your pets 'real' food. As well, everyone suggests that you chat with your veterinarian to make sure your planned feeding schedule meets your pets individual needs.

I started with a number of dog-friendly recipes and ideas and continue to post them on my Pinterest Pinboard For the Lady (because our pup's name is Lady Annyeong). I also made sure to search foods that are safe for dogs and unsafe for dogs before starting on this feeding adventure.

For the past couple of weeks then, I have been serving Lady up a morning and evening bowl of brown rice mixed with boiled carrots, squash and/or pumpkin. I pre-cook these ingredients to last one-to-two weeks. Then, I've been adding a few slices of hard-boiled eggs in the morning, banana on occasion, a bit of yogurt, fresh parsley, flax seed and even blueberries and strawberries on occasion. She's much more eager to eat these days, although she's getting a bit picky about carrots...

Banana Nut Rice Porridge

Breakfast is big deal in our home. So is using up whatever random ingredients may be living in our refrigerator and may potentially need to be getting on out of there quickly. Needing to be booted from the fridge this weekend was some rice from a recent dinner of Kimchi Chigae.

If you've scrolled through any of my more recent posts, you may notice I have a slight obsession with Rice Pudding. So, when I was reading through a cookbook on my Kindle and noticed a Rice Cereal/Rice Porridge, I knew I was in for some recipe inspiration!

Saturday morning in Daejeon, South Korea was as rainy as could possibly be making for the perfect opportunity and weather to enjoy a hot bowl of porridge. Throw in some banana and walnut and you're nearing on tastebud ecstasy!

Ingredients/Directions:
Adapted from eBook Superfoods: Simple Breakfast Recipes

In a small sauce pan heat 2 cups prepared rice (brown is recommended, but white will serve the same purpose however less nutritionally) and 2 cups of milk. Boil this mixture until it begins to thicken, stirring occassionally (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and add 1/3 cup Sugar and 1/2 tsp. Grated Orange Peel, cook an additional 5 minutes until flavors blend and porridge thickens a bit more. Remove pan from heat and add 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract and the following spices to taste/per preference: Cinnamon, Cloves, and Allspice (Personally, I go heavier on the cinnamon and light on the cloves and allspice). Serve porridge into bowls, top with one sliced Banana per serving and a handful of crushed Walnuts, an extra shake of cinnamon and enjoy with your breakfast drink of choice!

 
Find more sweets for your weekends and day-to-day...
 

Tuna and Dill Kimbap

Sometimes, nothing comes together more quickly and easily in my Korean kitchen than a few rolls of Kimbap. This new Kimbap in a Pinch variation is one of my new favorites.

Ingredients/Directions:

Into about a cup of cooked rice mix a large handful of chopped dill, a tablespoon or two of Mustard, 1/4-1/3 cup Plain Yogurt, a couple squirts of Mayonnaise and a tin of Tuna. Split this mixture evenly on 2-4 sheets of seaweed, roll, slice, enjoy!

(All measurements are approximations as I generally just eyeball this type of recipe, if you decide to measure it out exactly, please leave a comment with either your post of the recipe or your measurements!)

Chocolate Rice Pudding

I've really been on a rice pudding kick lately - it's just so easy and one of the absolute best ways to use up left over rice - which is continually happening in my home...maybe it's an accident, maybe it's a ploy so that I can create more rice pudding variations ^^

Ingredients/Directions:
In a small pot combine 1 1/2 cups cooked Rice, 1 1/2 cups Milk, 1/3 cups Sugar (brown or white will do) and 1/4 tsp. Salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together 3 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder and 1/2 cup Milk add to the thick and creamy rice pudding mixture and cook an additional minute. Before serving remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. Butter,  1/2 tsp. Vanilla and a Handful of Chocolate Chips or a few Hershey's Dark Kisses, stir so they melt just a little before spooning into serving dishes and enjoying with a mug of hot tea and a good book (I had rooibos and sat down to read The Help)

Linking up to Sweet as Sugar Cookies, for more sweets this week, head on over here!

Savory Pesto Rice Bowls

Earlier this month, I made a sweet little Breakfast Rice Bowl that was a perfect start to the morning.

Then I saw this post on Pinterest. Savory Oats. Hmmm.

Then, I had a batch of Walnut Basil Pesto in the fridge.

That's all it took.

At night, I'd wash my rice. In the morning, I threw it into the rice cooker with water, started it to go, took a shower. Stretched and did my hair.

Then fried an egg. Threw some rice in a bowl, topped it with Pesto, Mozzarella Cheese, a few Cherry Tomatoes and my fried egg - hearty, delicious and savory breakfast - no complaints!

Orange Creamsicle Rice Pudding

I've been really diggin' on Rice Pudding lately. It's just so warm and fluffy and comforting. And easy. And creamy.

There's been a few Pinterest posts of Orange Creamsicle inspired dishes, and that my dear friends, got me to thinking.

With some day old rice and a lone orange sitting on our counter tops I was quick to get out a sauce pan and start grating the orange peel. And I'm oh-so-glad I did!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a small pot combine 1 1/2 cups cooked Rice, 1 1/2 cups Milk, 1/3 cups Sugar (I used brown, most recipes call for white) and 1/4 tsp. Salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, 1 Egg, beaten and the zest of One Orange. Cook an additional minute. Before serving remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. Butter and 1/2 tsp. Vanilla. If you have some white chocolate, I think it'd be divine on top in shreds or small chunks. Or, if you want to up the sweetness factor, I think a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk would be heavenly. Even without those additions, this is a warm dessert that is sure to please!

Breakfast Rice Bowls

Some important things going on here in 519 Kitchen.

First of all, I made my own yogurt!

And it's amazing.

And it's easy...Although incubation is a long-going process.

And it's delicious.

Second of all, I've made time for breakfast.

Not just some lame toast.

Or a pastry from the convience store.

A hearty, nutrious breakfast so I can be at least one step ahead of the work grind.

I was inspired by a friend who recently told me she made a large batch of brown rice at the beginning of each week then ate it cold for breakfast, like cereal, with fruit and yogurt.

I was also inspired by the countless Pinterest examples of 'make-ahead' and 'freezable' breakfasts.

So, I combined the inspiration and got excited about my home-made yogurt and the result has been 4 mornings of delicious, hearty breakfast for me AND the hubs!

In true 'Pinterest' fashion, I seperated out the rice into individual servings so that step would be taken care of each morning. Then, each morning all I have to do is sprinkle on some flaxseed, spoon in some fruit (this week has been blueberries and bannas), drizzle with honey and scoop some yogurt on top before mixing it all up and sitting down in the big comfy chair to enjoy my morning nourishment and perpare my body for the upcoming day.

So. friggin. fantastic.

Pork Fried Rice

Spring must be around the corner since I'm a bit anxious lately to 'clean things out' - I've really been taking to my freezer since I have all those pre-made frozen dishes that were intended to get me through the end of my MAED course, which they did.  But so did cheap Korean food.  So, there's still a lot of frozen dishes which have proven a blessing, but also a challenge, I like cooking completely fresh, I'm not a busy mom, so once-a-month-cooking isn't a must...not to mention, cooking is a sort of outlet for me. If I don't cook/bake regularly things get rough, or as rough as they ever do for me and the mild-mannered man.

Anyway, I used up a good bit of frozen pieces in this fried rice, so it was a quick dish to make, which is always nice.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prior to making the rice, prepare some vegetables in this fashion, I did bok choy once again.

Also consider roasting some tofu as suggested and directed here.

In a large skillet, wok or whatever you can fit all required ingredients into, heat some olive oil. Meanwhile, whisk 2-3 eggs with a splash of soy sauce and some minced garlic. Scramble egg and remove from the pot. Next add a touch of oil if needed and throw in 2 cups of shredded pork and three cups of day old or frozen rice and soy sauce to taste, mix and heat thoroughly. Add prepared vegetables and egg, mix and season to taste with soy sauce, serve alongside roasted tofu and enjoy!

Rice Pudding

I'm not sure why I waited so long to make a pot of rice pudding. I'm quite ashamed that I have made it to the ripe age of 26 without taking in the pleasure of this quick comforting treat on a more regular basis. Not to mention, rice pudding is just screaming to become the playground of numerous experiments and additions (I'm thinking Peanut Butter, Nutella, S'more Ingredients, etc.) I'm eager to play around with this basic recipe and to enjoy it at it's most simple and delicious.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a small pot combine 1 1/2 cups cooked Rice, 1 1/2 cups Milk, 1/3 cups Sugar (I used brown, most recipes call for white) and 1/4 tsp. Salt.  Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes. Stir in an additional 1/2 cup Milk, 1 Egg, beaten and 2/3 cups Raisins ...or Craisins or Nothing...Cook an additional minutes. Before serving remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. Butter and 1/2 tsp. Vanilla.

Taiwanese Three Cups Chicken

Perhaps it is in anticipation of soon setting down in Taiwan for a weeks worth of exploration that I suddenly craved a dish once prepared for us by an English expat of Taiwan who visited us via CouchSurfing.  Either way, the dish proved to be exactly what I was wanting for the evening meal and come together quicker than anticipated (minus the brown rice which is incredibly worth it, but incredibly slow in the rice cooker...and probably on the stovetop as well).

Ingredients/Directions:

Original Recipe and Inspiration come from this 'Not Eating Out in New York' post

In a wok/large skillet/whatever you have heat to boiling 1/3 cup Sesame Oil with 10-15 smashed Garlic cloves and 2 Tbsp minced Ginger. Add 2 chopped Chicken Breasts (more authentic recipes call for thighs and dark meat which would result in a more tender dish, my market only had breasts) and stir until all pieces are browned/seared.  Add 1/3 cup Soju (or any other kind of Rice Wine), 1/3 cup Soy Sauce and 3 Tbsp. Sugar, bring to a boil then cover.  Reduce to simmer until chicken is cooked through (roughly 5-10 minutes).  Stir in 1-2 chopped scallions and a handful of peanuts (personal choice, also highly recommended is Thai basil however I did not have that on hand...) and serve with your choice of rice.

Kimchi Jigae

Mike really loves Kimchi -- I can take it or leave it, often I choose to leave it.

But I do love when Kimchi is used IN things and is served hot - such as kimchi fried rice, kimchi dumplings and kimchi stew (aka-Kimchi Jigae).

We were recently gifted fresh and fermented kimchi...a lot of it.  So, fully aware that we won't live in Korea forever, but I will miss certain foods, I set out to finding the perfect kimchi jigae recipe and I definitely found one - the secret is in the 'sauce' pictured bottom right hand corner.

Ingredients/Directions (kind of rough as stew recipes generally imply I don't measure anything...):

In a large stockpot or dutch oven heat some oil and saute an onion or half an onion depending on your taste preferences etc. Once the onions are translucent, shove them to the edge of the pot and dump in about a cup of chopped fermendted kimchi (more or less depending on your preferences again) and heat through. 

Now, at this point you can add meat (or you could do that first, honestly, we don't use a lot of meat so I don't know how that process should go) but we've added any of the following veggies: mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, bean sprouts, fresh cabbage and/or baby bok choy. With carrots and potatoes they'll need some time to boil in a bit of the broth or water so that they are edible, so if that's part of your veggie repertoire, they go in first. Mushrooms can be sauted with the onions if you disire, cabbage and bean spouts can go in after kimchi and I've always thrown the baby bok choy in for the last minute or so of cooking. 

Once you've figured out the order of veggies add broth or water, perhaps 4 cups, but once again it's completely your preference.  Boil the stew for about 10 minutes or so while you prepare the special sauce. Sauce consists of Korean chili powder (I imagine most Asian markets would have this, or you could use an Asian chili powder as a substitute), Korean chili paste (go-juchang), Soy Sauce and Minced Garlic.  I've done 2 tsp Powder, 1 tsp. Chili Paste, 2 tsp Soy Sauce and 2-3 cloves garlic...but it's spicy so think about who's eating the dish and move forward from that point.

Stir in the sauce, throw in some tofu or baby bok choy if you wish. Serve alongside or over rice and enjoy a taste of Korea!