Risotto With Spinach And Pine Nuts Ristorante La Brisa Food

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 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.

ORZO WITH SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat a large covered skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and when it is hot, add the spinach with all the water still clinging to its leaves from washing. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, then remove the lid and turn the spinach over with tongs. Replace the lid and cook for 2 minutes more. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted and tender. Stir in a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to a colander set over a bowl and drain. When cool enough to handle, press down on the spinach to extract as much liquid as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely and reserve the juice.
• In a large heavy skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly golden. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the garlic gives off its aroma. Season to taste, stir in the diced tomatoes and the spinach, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat.
• In a large saucepan, bring a generous amount of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo, stirring occasionally to stop them from sticking, for about 9 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly, shaking the colander to get rid of most of the water, and transfer them to the skillet with the spinach mixture and the reserved spinach juice. Toss to mix the ingredients evenly, taste for seasoning and reheat gently before serving.

SPINACH WITH PINE NUTS & GARLIC

Steps:

• Wash the spinach thoroughly and cram into a large pan. Pour over a little boiling water, cover tightly and cook for 2-3 mins, until the leaves have wilted.
• Tip into a colander and drain well. Use the side of a small plate to press the spinach down to extract the last of the water. If using frozen, defrost in the microwave and drain.
• Meanwhile heat the oil, add the pine nuts and fry until golden. Add the garlic and fry briefly, then stir in the spinach and stir until heated through. Season and serve in a warm side dish.

SPINACH WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Place raisins in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside., In a Dutch oven, cook pine nuts and garlic in oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in raisins; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the spinach, salt and pepper; cook just until tender, 4-5 minutes. Serve with a slotted spoon.

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.

RISOTTO WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Blanch the spinach and then chop it finely. In a pan, pour in some extra virgin olive oil and cook the crushed garlic clove, until brown. Remove the garlic and add the onion, finely chopped. Cook the onion until it becomes transparent. You can then add the spinach, stir, and season to taste. Set aside.
• In a casserole, toast the rice with 20 gr of extra virgin olive oil. When the rice is hot throughout, add the boiling stock all at once and mix gently. Cover the casserole with the lid and allow to cook for 15 minutes on a low flame.
• When the rice is cooked (depends on type of rice used) add the spinach, remove from the fire and add the grated parmesan cheese and butter. Mix thoroughly but gently until the cheese and butter melt and create a creamy risotto.
• Allow to rest for 2 minutes in casserole with lid on and covered with a cloth.
• Serve with grated parmesan and lemon slices.

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.