Asparagus and Lemongrass Risotto

Risotto has been on of those foods I was intimidated to make because, well, you spend over 1/2 an hour stirring, and food patience has never been my forte. I recommend making this with a friend to trade off stirring duty, or get a good book to read with your free hand to pass the time. I promise it'll be worth the wait - cream, tangy, rich and hearty. Not to mention asparagus season is right around the corner.

broth:
4 whole
cloves garlic
1 inch ginger, sliced
1 T dried lemongrass
3 c veg broth
3 c water
3 T soy sauce

risotto:
1/3 c sherry
1 lb asparagus
5 T peanut oil
1 c basil leaves
2 T fresh mint
6 large shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
1 t sugar
2 T lime juice


1.) Bruise the ginger and smash the garlic, place those and the lemongrass inside a loose leave tea bag. Put the teabag and all the broth ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and remove the teabag.
2.) Cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces, and saute in 4 T of oil until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. add basil and mint, saute for 30 seconds and remove from heat, but in a separate bowl.
3.) Warm the sherry in a small pot over medium-low heat
4.) Add 1 T oil, saute the shallots and garlic until soft, about 7 minutes. stir in pepper flakes and rice, saute for about 8 more minutes until the rice sounds slightly toasted. Add the sherry and stir until absorbed.
5.) Now get ready to stir. Ladle 1/2 cup of broth at a time into the rice, stirring constantly until all the liquid is absorbed each time. When the broth is almost gone, stir the sugar and lime juice into the last of the broth before absorbing it into the rice. This will end up taking about 35 minutes total.
4.) Stir in the asparagus stems and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Alternative Medicine.(Cream of Broccoli Soup)

So after about a week with a pretty sore throat, I had two choices tonight. I could either say Phuqit and go see Castevet and go out in the 15'F weather, or I could make some soup. The fact that I am posting this blog means I chose the latter.

Ingredients:

32 oz. Frozen Broccoli

4 Cups Vegetable Stock

1/2 tsp powdered dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 TBSP Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Small Yellow Onion

3 TBSP Flour

2 cups Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk ( I used So Delicious Coconut Milk as it was on sale this week)

sea salt & black pepper

1. Put on a great Outkast record,(I chose Stankonia) and then Cook Broccoli until tender in stock.
2. With a slotted spoon, remove one cup of broccoli florets. Set aside
3. Peel/Dice garlic cloves, dice onion and Sauté on medium heat in 1 Tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add to pot
4. Place remaining broccoli, liquid, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and salt in the blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in the soup pan. Add the flour and cook on low for 5-8 minutes.
6. Stir in coconut milk, bring to a boil then simmer till thickened, stirring constantly.
7. Stir in broccoli puree and non-blended florets.
8. Heat gently & serve immediately

http://vegetarianstar.com/2008/11/30/andre-3000-benjamins-last-meal-on-earth-broccoli/

.Get into themed meals/listening sessions.

wow, we must all be getting skinny

Portlandish Thanksgiving

Eric, Stephen, and I just had a very awesome Veggie thanksgiving. Check it out! Nom Nom Nom...

http://entirelyuntrue.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/thanky-fest/

Coconut Brown Rice with Sweet Potato (pan)Cakes

Yikes, I should buy a plate that's not so yellow/green. I can't think of a more uncomplimentary food color pairing...maybe brown or taupe would be worse.

I made this to fulfill my craving for both rice and sweet potatoes, and overall it was a pretty starchy meal - but that wasn't a bad thing. Maybe the sweet potato pancakes need some tweaking, but I kind of enjoyed their ambiguous texture. They were still mushy, but they had a nice pan-friend crust on the outside. Also, the portions are super small since I'm cooking for myself - but it's a enough for leftovers. Doubled the quantity is good for 3-4 people.

Coconut Brown Rice

1 cup short grain brown rice

8 oz can coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1 small onion

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into a couple pieces

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

Sweet Potato (pan)Cakes

1 med. sweet potato

1/2 red onion, diced small

3 tbl flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

Cook onion in a pot with some oil, once translucent add the ginger and curry. After a couple minutes, add the rice and liquid (coconut milk and water). The ratio I used was 1:1.5, rice to liquid. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring to make sure you don't crusties on the bottom. Once it boils, bring to a simmer and cover making sure you keep stirring every once in a while. This should take about 30 minutes.

While your rice is cooking, cook the sweet potato. I used the microwave for convenience sake - which only takes 4 minutes. Peel your potato, and mash it. Adding all the ingredient and fry those babies up in little cakes! Super easy - but you may find the batter a bit finicky and sticky. I think next time I'll actually try and make it like a pancake by adding more liquid. Also, I would love to try this out with chickpea flour. Mmmm...