3 Days of Food -- Arancini, Blackeyed Peas, Mushroom Ragout and Polenta

New Year's Eve! (antipasti, arancini (from Wednesday's risotto), and grilled asparagus)

 

New Years Day! (Blackeyed peas, cornbread, and salad)

 

Meatless Monday (polenta, mushroom ragout, and golden beet salad (that one's a new recipe!))

Deep Dish GF Pizza - Try #1

So, I decided to try deep dish pizza crust. I used the recipe in the Bronski's Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking to begin bouncing off of.

Here's how I started:

3/4 c. warm water

1 T. honey

2 1/2 t. yeast

1 T. olive oil

1 t. xantham gum

1 t. basil

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt

1 1/3 c. gf all-purpose flour

First -- Mix your honey, water, and yeast in a bowl. Stir. And hang out for a couple of minutes.

Bubbling will start to happen. This rocks and is worth watching. (And yes, I'm really five. Bubbles make me happy. :D Don't judge.)

When you've reached bubble-age and you've giggled, add your spices and oil.

Your xantham gum, salt and flour.

Now stir well. The dough is STICKY, but not wet. It smells *so* nice and mine sucked up all the dry ingredients.

See? Pretty. I made a ball and oiled it a little. Then we covered it and left it alone somewhere warm for 20 whole minutes. (Yeah, I know. You can do a lot of goofing off in 20 minutes, though. I played with the dogs and emptied the dish washer. Also, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

After 20 minutes, you have a nicely riz ball off garlicky goo.

And your nummy toppings ready to chop.

Put your goo into a well-oiled pan with sides. Then par-cook for 13 minutes. Chop your toppings. (I chose artichokes, olives, red peppers, pepperoni, parmesan, and basil.)

After you've cooked, pull your pizza out and rub with garlic.

Add toppings.

Add more toppings.

Add even more toppings. Then cook in the oven for another 15 minutes. :D

TA DA!

Now, what did we think?

The flavor was *luscious* and I liked it much better than any pre-made crust we've tried. Next time I so will take the cookbook's suggestion and use a pizza stone (we didn't have one big enough; tomorrow is a trip to the kitchen store). We'll also spray butter on the crust for the par-bake for a touch more richness.

Also, I'm thinking par-bake for 15-18 minutes, then cook for 10-12.

Grins.

Still, not bad at all.

 

 

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Risotto

Inventing recipes today!

First, ingredients:

2 large onions

1 shallot

1 lb mushrooms

1/4 c. white wine

2 c. arborio rice

4-6 c. chicken broth

salt

5 cloves garlic

1/2 c. parmesan

1/2 c. gruyere

fresh basil

olive oil

butter

First, slice and caramelize your onions in 2 T of olive oil and 1 T butter. (this takes forever. FOREVER. Be patient. Low heat for 40 minutes, stirring frequently. Just do it. This is not speed cooking.)

 

While your onions are caramelizing, slice your shallot and mushrooms.

And your garlic, basil and shred your cheeses.

When your onions are mostly soft and golden and nummy, add your mushrooms and shallot. Stir. Don't worry, it's supposed to smell like ass. It'll get better. Just continue with the patience thing. (This part takes 20 minutes or so.)

See the lovely onions?

Here is where the ass-smell is the worst. Just stir. Don't panic.

Now, see this color? This is where the smell does away and suddenly you remember that you can eat this. :D

Put your onion goo in a bowl. Add a touch of olive oil to your pan with your garlic. Cook and stir nice and low until your garlic is cooked, but not brown (if you burn your garlic, chop more. Burned garlic tastes like bad pecans. You can't fix it.)

While the garlic is cooking, warm up your broth.

Add your rice to the pan and stir. We're toasting here (sort of like in the 70s when every meal included Rice-a-Roni. You remember the toasting part? No? Shame, I do. I was fascinating.) Basically, heat and stir. And stir. And stir. When the rice is more clear than white, you're toasted.

Add about 1/4 c of wine. Pour yourself a glass while you stir. You're at the stove from this point, you might as well drink...

When the wine is gone, add a ladle of broth, then stir.

Then do it again.

And again.

Basically, you add broth one ladle at a time until the rice is cooked. It took me 5 cups. Sometimes it only takes 4. Once it took 6. Rice is fickle. Just remember to keep stirring.

 

Then? Add the mushroom/onion goo.

Stir until the liquid's gone (this doesn't take long) and turn off the stove. Add your basil.

Then your cheese.

Then a pat of butter (this is important -- it creates whoa-yumminess).

Ta-da! Risotto

Spinach salad and brazilian cheese bread!