Pea and Leek Risotto

I have been told that I eat a lot of green foods.

Well, I don't think that is a bad thing. Take this Pea and Leek Risotto, for instance, it is big on green but also flavorful, filling and fabulous. Even if green isn't quite your thing, you might change your mind after trying a creamy bite of this.

This was sparked from the weekly Food Bloggers Challenge. Sadly, our fresh peas have come and gone for the year, so I was looking for a dish I could enjoy using frozen peas. A quick blanch to perk these little guys back up and they are not bad. Perfect for this simple dish.

The best part for me were the leeks. sauteed with a yellow onion, they add a sweetness to the rice that pairs well with the sweet, yet earthy, little pea.

For risotto making I like to have all my ingredients out and ready. My stock is warm, the onions and leeks are being softened and my peas were already blanched and waiting to go.

Believe it or not, this is the first time I have broken out the immersion blender in a couple of months. I would rather dirty this handy tool than the whole food processor for a job like this.

Of course the biggest thing about risotto is going slowly. It takes about 20 minutes of stirring and ladling in more stock, but so worth it!

Then stir in the pureed and whole peas, a little mint if you like, and a hearty helping of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Don't, under any circumstances, forget the cheese!

Pea and Leek Risotto

You Will Need:

• 4 c. vegetable stock
• 2 c. peas (I used frozen since they are out of season)
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 leeks, diced an rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 c. Arborio Rice
• 1 c. dry white wine
• 1 c. Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper to taste

Warm the stock and the peas in two separate small pots. Process half the peas up with an immersion blender and a ladle full of stock for processing. Set this aside.

In a large saute pan, soften the onion and leek in the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add one ladle of stock and then press the garlic cloves. Heat and stir for about a minute. 

Then add in the Arborio rice and coat it in the butter and oil. Add in the wine and allow it all to evaporate out of the rice before adding a ladle of stock. Continue stirring and adding stock, one ladle full at a time, till the rice is thick, creamy and tender. Turn the heat down to low.

Stir in the mashed peas, whole peas, Parmesan and season to taste.

Serve immediately with diced mint and a mint garnish.

Enjoy!

Weekly challenge to push the creativity of food bloggers. Create an original recipe each week to accomodate the weeks ingredient. If you are a blogger that is interested in linking up your themed recipe, please join the Facebook group to learn how.

Simple Mexican Corn & Zucchini Soup with Corn Bread & Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

Last week was a blur. A whirlwind of work and time in the city for school clothes shopping meant we ate out more than either my husband or I prefer. In fact, despite having a few lovely meals I was starting to feel rather, blah.

And by "blah" I mean heavy and done. Done with all the restaurant fare.

This week I have been back in the kitchen to catch up with some upcoming posts and events. I have also tried to go from scratch and keep our meals simple. Tonight was a product of both seasonal offerings and simplicity. Corn also happens to be the challenge bloggers' food of the week. I have no shortage of corn here on the farm.

I have ears coming out of the my ears!

But what I don't do is cook with corn very often. No, we are guilty of usually just a simple steam and then eating it plain. Freshly picked corn really doesn't need much else. But in the spirit of the challenge I decided to try transforming our usual ear of corn into two dishes; a Mexican Corn & Zucchini Soup as well as a Corn Bread and Italian Sausage Stuffed Jalapeno.

My husband is very proud of his mild jalapenos. They pack all the glorious flavor of the usual pepper without all the heat. My husband usually doesn't like it when I cook or bake with jalapenos but this has given me more creative possibilities. Of course, these recipes would also be lovely if you like the heat from jalapenos.

First up is the delicious, but simple soup recipe.

Mexican Corn and Zucchini Soup

You Will Need:

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
• 3 ears of corn, kernels cut off
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 c. milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• Monterey Jack Cheese, grated to garnish the top

In a large saucepan with butter and oil, sweat the onion down with a pinch of salt. When translucent, stir in the stock, zucchini, corn and diced jalapeno. Simmer till the zucchini is tender.

Then stir in the milk and warm through. Add salt and pepper taste. Serve topped with shredded Monterey Jack Cheese.

Enjoy!

I served my soup with these lovely little sweet corn bread and sausage stuffed jalapenos.

Sweet Corn Bread and Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

You Will Need:

• 20 jalapenos
• 1/4 c. Italian sausage
• 1 bag Marie Calendar's Corn Bread Mix
• 1 egg
• 1 ear of corn, blanched and cut off the cob
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 c. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the sausage and set aside. Slice each jalapeno and remove the seeds and membrane. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.

Mix the  corn bread mix with egg, corn, butter and sugar. Place a teaspoon of sausage in the middle of each  jalapeno half. Top with corn bread batter and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the corn bread starts to turn golden brown on top.

Enjoy.

Weekly challenge to push the creativity of food bloggers. Create an original recipe each week to accomodate the weeks ingredient. If you are a blogger that is interested in linking up your themed recipe, please join the Facebook group to learn how.

From the Summer Garden - Smokey Pepper Saute over Polenta

My favorite part of Summer is the abundance of fresh ingredients at my fingertips. The challenge is always finding new ways to enjoy the same produce. Eating fresh just makes me feel better.

Peppers? Yes, peppers are plump and sweet in the fields right now. Besides some of my favorite stuffed pepper recipes, or just eating them raw with a little homemade ranch mix, I don't have a lot of regularly used pepper recipes. So, I did a little digging, dusted off a few cookbooks and magazines and found a recipe for Catalan Peppers of Polenta.

I really enjoyed the idea behind the dish, smoked paprika, fresh bell peppers, crisped polenta and a few other veggies... but it wasn't quite right for me.

So I took the base and and added in sauteed eggplant, took out the butter beans - I didn't have a can in the house, and added a bit more garlic and seasoning to make something my family enjoyed. It is still fresh, simple and the polenta really filled us up.

Start with a few fresh ingredients, bell peppers, onions, eggplant and baby spinach. Then add in some flavor with grated garlic, smoked paprika, chicken stock, salt and pepper.

Crisp up cubed polenta in a cast iron skillet. Okay, you could use just a frying pan... but cast iron does such a great job in this case.

Then cook everything together to really marry the flavors and soften the veggies just a little.

Grab a fork and dig in! Ready for the recipe?

Smokey Pepper Saute over Polenta

You Will Need: 

• olive oil
• 1 (16oz.) tube of plain polenta, cubed.
• 2 bell peppers, in large dices
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 c. eggplant, diced
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 c. packed baby spinach
• 1/2 c. chicken stock
• 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 teaspoons olive oil and begin crisping up the polenta. Season as necessary. Put a little color on the polenta peices. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add aother teaspoon or two of oil into the pan and begin to saute the bell peppers, onions, eggplant and garlic. Once they begin to soften, add smoked paprika, baby spinach and chicken stock. Cook, stirring until the spinach is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Spoon over the polenta, garnish with a little more paprika and serve immediately.

Enjoy! 

Weekly challenge to push the creativity of food bloggers. Create an original recipe each week to accomodate the weeks ingredient. If you are a blogger that is interested in linking up your themed recipe, please join the Facebook group to learn how.