Risotto With Zucchini Food

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Peel the bottom third of the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Snap each stalk where it breaks naturally; reserve 4 of the peeled bottoms for crostini (below). Thinly slice 6 asparagus bottoms and place the rest of the bottoms in a saucepan with 8 cups water and the thyme to make asparagus broth; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth until absorbed (use a ladle to add the broth, keeping the solids in the pan). Continue to add broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, about 10 minutes. (You should have about half the broth left.) Stir in the sliced asparagus bottoms and the lemon zest. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is just tender, 5 to 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the asparagus tips in a large skillet, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parmesan and lemon juice to the risotto. Stir in the lettuce, remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls, top with the robiola and season with pepper. Drizzle the asparagus tips with olive oil and spoon over the risotto.

SPRING RISOTTO WITH PEAS AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Heat broth and 2 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan over low heat; keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until zucchini is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer zucchini to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Raise heat to medium. Add rice; cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Cook, adding 1 cup hot broth at a time (stir until almost all liquid is absorbed before adding more), until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.
• Add zucchini and peas; cook until peas are bright green, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter and Parmesan. Serve, topped with more cheese.

OOZY COURGETTE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Peel the onion and garlic, trim the celery and finely chop all three. Place a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
• Place the butter in the hot pan with the onion, garlic and celery, a splash of oil, and a splash of water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for around 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Trim the courgettes, slice lengthways into quarters, then chop into small ½cm chunks and put to one side.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 800ml water. Add the stock cube and bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring to dissolve, then turn the heat down to low.
• Pick and reserve the basil leaves, then add the stalks to the pan of stock. Finely grate the Italian hard cheese.
• Once the vegetables are very soft but not browned, add the rice to the pan.
• Stir and fry the rice for 1 minute until translucent, then add the wine (if using) and keep stirring until it has been absorbed by the rice.
• Turn the heat under the rice up to medium, then add a ladleful of hot stock, avoiding the basil stalks - these are there to add flavour but not to be eaten!
• Stir constantly and continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, waiting for the rice to soak it all up before adding the next ladleful. Continue until you've used two-thirds of the stock.
• Finely chop the basil leaves and the chilli (deseed the chilli if you prefer a milder heat).
• Stir the chopped courgette into the stock, and keep adding it (courgette and all) until the rice is cooked and the risotto has a nice oozy consistency - if you run out of stock, use boiling water.
• Take the pan of risotto off the heat. Tear the mozzarella balls into pieces and stir into the pan with half the basil.
• Stir through half the grated Italian hard cheese, then season to taste with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Cover with a lid and allow to sit for two minutes.
• Divide the risotto between four plates, scatter over the remaining cheese, basil and the fresh chilli, then tuck in!

ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Risotto will become "creamy" and slightly sticky, yet still firm in the center, or al dente.
• When almost finished, stir in the zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and thyme, adding stock as needed and stirring continuously. Stir in basil and 3 tablespoons cheese just before serving. Divide risotto among 6 bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and season with pepper to taste.

TRUE ITALIAN PORCINI MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak until soft, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Squeeze mushrooms to remove excess water and roughly chop.
• Bring beef stock to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic cloves; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Discard garlic cloves; pour in 1/2 cup wine. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until wine reduces, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil with 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir shallot until soft, about 3 minutes. Cook and stir Arborio rice until toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour in remaining 1/2 cup wine. Simmer until wine is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
• Ladle 1/3 of the warm stock into the saucepan; cook and stir until absorbed. Ladle in remaining stock and reserved soaking liquid in small amounts and cook, stirring constantly, until risotto is tender and creamy, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Remove risotto from the heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and Parmesan cheese. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

CREAMY ITALIAN ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium size pan add olive oil, zucchine, onion, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt and 1/4 cup water, cook uncovered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until the zucchini are tender (and a little golden) and water has evaporated, (approximately 15-20 minutes, after about 15 minutes if there is still a lot of water remaining turn heat up a little), when done, remove from heat and with a fork coarsely mash the zucchini mixture.
• In a large pot add the broth and heat until hot.
• Meanwhile, in a large pan on medium low heat melt the butter, add the rice and stir to combine, cook on medium heat for 30-45 seconds, then add continuously one cup at a time** the broth as it evaporates and the rice cooks, (this can take up to 30 minutes) stirring often.
• When rice is cooked make sure that it remains slightly moist and creamy, lower heat to very low, gently fold in the zucchini mixture (taste for salt, add if necessary). Remove from heat, gently fold in a tablespoon of butter and parmesan cheese until combined, add the cream, mix gently together, serve immediately with extra freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!
• **add the liquid a cup at a time (because you may not need all the liquid listed if your rice cooks quicker) and there should be a little liquid remaining in the rice when you add more liquid because you don't want the rice to stick to the pan.

EASY PARMESAN "RISOTTO"

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper, and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot.

CREAMY COURGETTE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a sturdy frying pan, add the onion and gently fry until softened. Stir in the grated courgettes and rice, increase the heat and sizzle while stirring for 1-2 mins.
• Add the lemon juice and a ladle of hot stock, and bubble over a medium-high heat while stirring constantly. When the liquid has just about been absorbed, add another ladleful of stock. Keep cooking like this for 20-25 mins until the rice is just tender and is creamy. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone and some seasoning, cover with a lid or baking sheet, and set aside for 5 mins while you cook the remaining courgettes.
• Heat the remaining butter and a splash of oil in a small frying pan. Add the diced courgettes, and fry over a high heat for 2-3 mins until golden and just softened. Divide the risotto between shallow bowls or plates, then scatter with the diced courgettes and any buttery juices, the pine nuts and a few pinches of lemon zest.

RACH'S ZUCCHINI RISOTTO FROM NEW COOKBOOK "RACHAEL RAY 50"

Steps:

• In a large sauce pot over medium-low heat, warm the vegetable stock
• Add the saffron, orange peel, and lemon peel
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat
• Add 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan
• Then add zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned and tender-crisp
• Season with salt and add the chili paste to taste
• Toss to combine and remove from the heat
• Heat a large round-bottomed pan over medium-high heat
• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan
• Add the onion and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until softened
• Add garlic, stir in the rice, and cook for 1 minute more
• Add the wine and let it get fully absorbed
• Begin adding the stock a few ladles at a time, each time vigorously stirring with a wooden spoon or risotto spoon (hollow in the middle)
• Once you begin adding stock, the risotto will cook in about 18 to 20 minutes to al dente
• In the last few minutes, after adding the last few ladles of stock, stir in butter, cheese, and zucchini
• Finish with the citrus juice
• Season to taste with salt
• Top with mint and parsley

SHRIMP AND ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook for about 15 minutes. (I do not cook the zucchini with the risotto, as it would get too soft; by sauteing it on a higher flame I'm able to achieve a different texture, and I like it much better when added to the rice.) Remove the zucchini to a plate and reserve. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a second large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and foamy. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, to toast it. Stir in 1 cup wine, reduce the heat to a medium-low simmer and let the alcohol evaporate for about 3 minutes. Stir the rice constantly; do not get distracted and let it become dry. As the liquid gets absorbed, begin adding the vegetable broth, one ladle at a time.
• Meanwhile, as your risotto is cooking and while you are stirring, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. When the butter is melted, add the shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add about three-quarters of the parsley and remaining 1/4 cup wine. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, and when the shrimp turn bright pink remove from the heat and set aside. Do not discard the juice.
• Once the risotto has cooked for 20 to 25 minutes, and as your vegetable broth is almost finished, start tasting the rice and feel its consistency. If it needs more time on the stove, you can ladle in some warm water to keep it going a few minutes more. Stir in a couple tablespoons of cheese, if using. (Italians do not like to see cheese and fish together, so I use Parmesan almost as a seasoning while I cook the rice.)
• If you've done everything right, this is the moment to stir in the already browned zucchini and the cooked shrimp; the sauce from the shrimp will help the risotto gain the final 5 minutes of cooking time without the need of any additional water.
• Ladle the risotto into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and drizzle with olive oil.
• Wine suggestion for this recipe: Pinot Grigio

SPRING RISOTTO WITH PEAS AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Heat broth and 2 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan over low heat; keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until zucchini is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer zucchini to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Raise heat to medium. Add rice; cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Cook, adding 1 cup hot broth at a time (stir until almost all liquid is absorbed before adding more), until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.
• Add zucchini and peas; cook until peas are bright green, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter and Parmesan. Serve, topped with more cheese.

RISOTTO WITH ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Using a saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the red onions until soft, approximately 2 minutes.
• Add the rice and toast for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine and stir until creamy.
• Cut the zucchini blossoms into pieces and add to the rice. Heat the vegetable stock and add the saffron to the stock. Allow the saffron to steep in the stock for a few minutes. Add the saffron stock to the rice and allow to cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
• To finish the risotto, stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

RISOTTO WITH ZUCCHINI AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Melt 1 T. butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, and cook until beginning to soften, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; reserve saucepan (do not clean).
• Bring 3 cups broth to simmer in small saucepan. Reduce heat to lwo and keep warm.
• Melt remaining 2 T. butter in reserved medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add rice and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth. Adjust heat so liquid simmers slowly and cook rice until broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is just tender and creamy, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini and stir until heated through. Mix in cheese.

VEGAN PESTO RISOTTO WITH ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Pesto.
• In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, basil, yeast , lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F for the zucchini, and have ready a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Rissoto:.
• Warm the vegetable broth in a saucepan. Keep it warm on the lowest setting possible as you prepare the risotto.
• Preheat a heavy-bottomed 4 quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion in oil and a pinch of salt until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and use a wooden spoon to stir and coat with oil. Add the white wine and stir occasionally, until wine is mostly absorbed, 4 minutes or so. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low.
• Add the broth by the cupful, stirring the risotto after each addition until the broth is mostly absorbed (6 to 8 minutes). After 2 cupfuls, add about half of the pesto and stir well, then continue to cook, adding broth by the cupful, stirring, and letting the liquid absorb.
• At some point in there, your oven will be preheated. Toss the zucchini with oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Roast for about 6 minutes on each side, or until softened and lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
• With your last addition of broth, add the remainder of the pesto. Taste for salt and add the other 1/4 teaspoon if needed. Risotto is ready when the rice is chewy but still firm, and the sauce is very creamy. For a firmer risotto, just cook a few minutes extra to absorb more of the liquid.
• To serve: scoop risotto into each bowl, and top with zucchini. Drizzle with extra pesto and garnish with a few toasted pine nuts.

RISOTTO WITH ZUCCHINI, CARROTS AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring broth to boil and keep it at a bare simmer.
• In a kettle, cook zucchini and carrots in ½ cup of butter over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Add rice and cook over moderately-high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of stock and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring, for 3-5 minutes, or until stock is absorbed.
• Add more stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring and simmering, until absorbed and rice begins to soften (about 6 cups of broth will have been absorbed).
• Add more stock, ½ cup at a time, in same manner, until rice is al dente.
• Stir in cream and remaining ¼ cup butter.
• Remove from heat and add Parmesan, parsley and basil and season to taste.
• Transfer to a heated serving bowl and serve immediately.