Risotto With Nuts Food

THE BEST RISOTTO

Steps:

• Warm the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cover and keep warm while you make the risotto.
• Heat the olive oil in another medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves and 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter has melted, about 1 minute.
• Add the rice and toast, stirring only once, until it smells nutty and starts to turn light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has evaporated completely, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Ladle one cup of the warm stock into the rice and cook, stirring gently without stopping, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, 2 to 3 minutes (you will know it's time to add more stock when you move the rice aside and no liquid pools in the center).
• Repeat this process, adding more stock a ladleful at a time, until the rice is al dente, 17 to 19 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. (You may have a little stock left over. If so, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.) If you prefer your risotto on the saucier side, add more stock 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Stir in the Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of black pepper and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

RISOTTO WITH WILD MUSHROOMS, PINE NUTS AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• 1. For the risotto: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the pine nuts and set aside. Return the pot to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion and garlic. Season with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not brown, about 15 minutes.
• 2. Increase the heat to high and stir in the rice. Cook, stirring, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and keep stirring until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Lower the heat, add a ladle of warm broth (about 1/2 cup) and a pinch of salt to the pot. Cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Keep adding the broth, one ladle at a time, stirring until each portion is absorbed. Continue until the rice is soft and creamy with just a little bite (al dente), 25 to 30 minutes total. Stir in the butter, Parmesan and mascarpone. Stir in toasted pine nuts.
• 3. For the topping: Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened but still meaty, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• 4. Divide the risotto between 4 bowls. Top with the mushrooms and parsley. Serve warm.

RISOTTO WITH TRUFFLE AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Heat chicken broth in a stockpot over medium-low heat until warmed.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan; cook and stir onion in the melted butter-oil mixture until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add rice to onion mixture and stir to coat; cook and stir rice mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour wine into rice mixture; cook and stir until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add 1 ladle of hot chicken broth to rice mixture, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding 1 ladle of broth at a time until rice is tender but firm to the bite, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Mix 2 tablespoons butter, truffle oil, Parmesan cheese, and milk into risotto until fully incorporated; season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

KABOCHA SQUASH RISOTTO WITH SAGE AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add squash; sprinkle with sea salt and sauté until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add chopped sage, and cook until just tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle Sherry wine vinegar over; toss to incorporate. Transfer squash to plate. Wipe skillet clean.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet over high heat. Add chopped onions, sprinkle with sea salt, and sauté until onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes; set aside. Bring 31⁄2 cups water and vegetable broth to simmer in large saucepan. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
• Add arborio rice to onions in skillet. Stir until rice is slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add Sherry; stir until absorbed. Add 1 cup warm broth mixture; stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Continue adding broth mixture by cupfuls until rice is just tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, stirring almost constantly and adding squash after 15 minutes, about 20 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 6 tablespoons toasted pine nuts. Transfer squash risotto to large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining toasted pine nuts over risotto.
• Top risotto with shaved Parmesan and crumbled Pancetta.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH SPINACH AND TOASTED PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add about 3 1/2 cups squash in even layer and cook without stirring until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender and browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer squash to bowl and set aside.
• Return skillet to medium heat; add reserved squash fibers and seeds and any leftover diced squash. Cook, stirring frequently to break up fibers, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large saucepan and add vegetable broth and water; cover saucepan and bring mixture to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain bare simmer.
• While broth mixture is simmering, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to now-empty skillet and swirl to coat. Add 4 ounces baby spinach and cook, covered, over medium heat, until leaves begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until fully wilted, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter (or margarine) in now-empty skillet over medium heat; when foaming subsides, add onions, garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, strain hot broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan and discard solids in strainer; cover saucepan and set over low heat to keep broth hot.
• When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth and half of reserved squash to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
• Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 2 or 3 more times, until rice is al dente. Turn off the heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter/margarine, Parmesan, sage, and nutmeg; drain excess liquid from spinach and gently fold in spinach and remaining cooked squash. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Top individual servings of risotto with toasted pine nuts; serve immediately.

PUMPKIN AND SAGE RISOTTO WITH PINE NUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion, garlic, and sage for about 5 minutes until golden.
• Add the rice and pumpkin and stir fry for 1 minute until all the rice grains are well coated in oil.
• Add 1/4 pint of stock and simmer, stirring until absorbed.
• Continue to add the stock a little at a time, stirring frequently, for about 25 minutes, until the rice is creamy and all the liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile, process the pine nuts, cheese, milk, and nutmeg in a blender until smooth.
• Stir into the risotto, with the final addition of stock, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Season to taste and serve at once.

MUSHROOM ORZO RISOTTO WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat garlic and olive oil in a medium saucepan.
• When garlic "speaks", add the onion and saute until translucent.
• Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cook mushrooms until brown and all the liquid has evaporated.
• In the mean time, toast orzo in a separate pan over medium heat, until light golden.
• When mushrooms are cooked, add sage, thyme, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Add orzo, reduce heat to med-low.
• Cook until broth is absorbed (about 15 minutes) and orzo is al dente, stirring occasionally.
• Add pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Heat through until parmesan is melted and absorbed into the orzo.
• Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Serve immediately, with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

RISOTTO WITH SPINACH AND PINE NUTS (RISTORANTE LA BRISA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pine nuts in one layer in oven-proof dish, and place in oven for 15 minutes until they become golden. Remove and cool to room temperature.
• In another pot, heat 4 cups water and cook spinach until limp. Remove, drain, squeeze dry and chop finely.
• In a pot, heat chicken stock to boiling, lower heat and keep at gently rolling boil.
• In a frying pan, heat 1 1/2 table spoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add rice and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until rice is warm to the touch. Add half-cup of boiling chicken stock, stirring constantly until rice absorbs stock. Add 2 more half-cups of stock in half-cup amounts, again stirring while stock is absorbed. (Liquid should be bubblinggently.) Add spinach at this point, when rice is half-cooked. Stir and mix.
• Add rest of stock, in half-cup amounts (total cooking time of rice is approximately 30 minutes). Five minutes before rice is cooked, add Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of butter, and mix. Just before serving, mix in all but 1 tablespoon of the pine nuts, sprinkling the top with remaining nuts. If desired, add more Parmesan to taste.

RISOTTO WITH CHARD AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Combine pancetta and oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook until fat has rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add butter to the skillet and let melt over medium heat. Stir in shallot and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chard stems and garlic, and cook until fragrant and golden, 2 minutes.
• Stir in rice and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until rice is opaque and smells slightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in wine and cook until it's absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked through but still has a slight bite, 20 to 27 minutes.
• Add lemon zest and stir until well distributed. Stir in chard leaves and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes longer. If the risotto is too thick, stir in a little water or some more broth (do this until the level of creaminess pleases you; perfect risotto texture is subjective). Stir in Parmesan, then taste and add more salt, if needed.
• Spoon immediately into individual bowls. Sprinkle pancetta on top and finish with more Parmesan and black pepper, if you'd like. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS RISOTTO WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• In a large heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes on medium low heat.
• Add the rosemary and pine nuts and saute for a further 3 minutes or until the onion is softened, but not coloured.
• Add the rice, stir to coat the grains in oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour in the white wine and cook over a moderate heat, stirring continuously until absorbed.
• Begin to gradually add the hot stock, half a cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next lot. Continue adding stock in this way until it is almost all absorbed (say, half a cup left).
• Add the drained asparagus pieces and add the last of the stock.
• When the stock is almost absorbed (the rice should be al dente, and takes about 25 minutes in total) stir in the butter and parmesan. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for 2 minutes, then add salt/pepper/additional parmesan to taste, and serve.

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• On medium heat, add butter and olive oil to pan and swirl until entire pot is coated.
• At the same time, bring broth to a simmer in a separate pot.
• Add onion and stir; sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped rosemary, Italian parsley, and pine nuts.
• Sauté for 3 more minutes.
• Add garlic and rice and sauté for 1 more minute.
• Be sure not to let the garlic brown.
• Add the wine and cook until absorbed, about 30 seconds.
• Add ¾ of the simmering broth and stir.
• Watch over rice carefully.
• When most liquid has been absorbed, add the rest of the broth.
• Simmer the rice for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• (NOTE: If the rice begins to stick to the bottom of your pan, add more water, 1/2 cup at a time until absorbed. You need to add more water if no liquid is visible in the pan, 1/2 cup water until absorbed.) Meanwhile, wash, trim asparagus and discard ends.
• Cut off asparagus tips.
• Chop remaining asparagus stalks into bite sized pieces.
• Add ½ of the stalks and stir, continue simmering for another 5 minutes, adding more water if needed.
• Add asparagus tips and continue stirring often, adding more liquid as needed, cooking until rice is tender and mixture is creamy; about 8-10 more minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and cream and stir.
• When blended, remove from heat.
• Serve with salt, pepper and additional Parmesan to taste.