Shrimp and Strawberry Risotto in a Parmesan Bowl Recipe

July 7, 2014 by 12 Comments

Dinner challenge: try to recreate this dish of Shrimp and Strawberry Risotto in a Parmesan Bowl from this photo and my memories of eating it. The restaurant, Pasha in Chicago, closed in 2005.

Challenge Accepted! So here is my Shrimp and Strawberry Risotto in a Parmesan Bowl Recipe. I don’t know if you are planning any kind of date night soon where you eat al fresco in your backyard or front porch, but I would recommend that this is a great recipe for that occasion and the strawberries are quite fine right now…!

Parmesan Cheese Bowl

Parmesan Bowl recipe Parmesan Bowl recipe
Ingredients:

  • Shredded Parmesan – you need maybe 1/2 – 3/4 cup per bowl you will make probably
  • 2 bowls that will be used to mold the desired size of your Parmesan bowl (the bowls should be able to nest together)
  • 1 Large dinner plate that is microwavable that should be large enough for the circumference of the Parmesan bowl
  • Parchment paper

Directions:

  1. Cut a piece of parchment paper that will cover the bottom of the plate/platter. (You can reuse the parchment paper for multiple cheese bowls). Trim the corners off of the parchment paper if needed so it will not bump against the walls of the microwave if you have a microwave turntable.
  2. Spread a circle with the shredded Parmesan cheese – start with 1/2 – 3/4 cup cheese as you will have to adjust this for your bowl size. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect, just be sure to hold an inverted bowl over the cheese circle and that the cheese circle extends 3/4 to 1 inch beyond the rim of your bowl.
  3. Have the two bowls ready to use as a mold when you take the hot cheese out of the microwave. The bowls should be upside down.
  4. Put the plate of cheese in the microwave and cook at full power for 1 1/2 -2 minutes. The cheese should turn until golden brown over most/all of the surface. Keep an eye on it until you figure out the cooking time for yours. You can also do this by browning the cheese in the oven at 325 degrees F, but the microwave is what I used.
  5. Remove cooked cheese from microwave and by picking the the parchment paper, flip it over the first bowl. Put the second bowl on top mold, centering it over the first bowl and pressing it down.
  6. After 5 minutes, after the cheese has cooled, you can remove the top bowl and peel off the parchment paper.

If for some reason you break any of the bowls, just break them further into pieces and snack on them or you can put them as garnish on top of other dishes. I put risotto in these bowls, but another good idea might be to put in a salad. You can also do this in the oven, but the microwave is much faster.

Shrimp Strawberry Risotto

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 8 tablespoons of olive oil – you will use half of this for the risotto and the other half for the shrimp (which are optional if you are vegetarian)
  • 2 medium shallots, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
    Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup green peas – I used frozen green peas
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and tails removed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup of diced strawberries

Directions:

  1. Simmer the broth in a saucepot in order to warm it and just keep it warm – you don’t need to let it come to a boil.
  2. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallots with 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper with red pepper flakes (you can add less, such as just a pinch if you want a less heat or leave out all together) and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the 1 cup Arborio rice rice and stir to make sure it is all coated in oil for 2 minutes.
    Shrimp Strawberry Risotto in a Parmesan Bowl recipe
  3. Add the 1/2 cup wine and cook until wine is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 cup warm broth from the saucepot. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is mostly absorbed and then add the next 1 cup of broth, until you have used all your soup is used and the rice is al dente, about 30 minutes.
  4. Add the green peas and cook 3 minutes to mix it in. Finally, add the 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring until everything is well mixed. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
  5. Sprinkle your shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper and and mix. Heat the other 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a new skillet. Add shrimp and sauté just until all the shrimp are firm and pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the lemon juice and mix in.
  6. Back to the risotto. Stir in the 1 cup of strawberries into the risotto and plate. Top the strawberry risotto with the shrimp by spooning it on top in your final serving dish (which are my parmesan bowls!). Alternately if you are using a real bowl you can mix the shrimp in as well right into the risotto.

Finally, the end result of putting the risotto in the parmesan cheese bowls…
Shrimp Strawberry Risotto in a Parmesan Bowl recipe Shrimp Strawberry Risotto in a Parmesan Bowl recipe

 

Doesn’t it look fancy!

I have to say, a strawberry and shrimp risotto is the weirdest combination in a risotto I’ve ever had. If you think it’s too sweet, try drizzling a little aged balsamic vinegar.

What is the most unique risotto you’ve had? Have I convinced you how easy it is to make a parmesan bowl?

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Sides for your Fourth of July Weekend

July 2, 2014 by 12 Comments

I thought I would pick out some of my recommendations for Sides for your Fourth of July Weekend from my recipe archives.

Well, not all of them are from the archive. This initial one is merely a suggestion and guideline. First, you could start off with a patriotic Red, white, and blue potatoes dish (ok, purple potatoes but close enough) for breakfast. You can do these in a skillet like here, or you can roast them in the oven or even put them on the grill and make it a bbq side if you’d prefer.
Recipe idea for your Fourth of July, red and white blue (purple but close enough) potatoes that you can make on the skillet or oven or grill. Start your day with a patriotic breakfast or make these as a side dish! Vegetarian and very versatile, season to your liking

Season how you’d like- I don’t know if I ever make them the same way twice as I quite liberally open up my spices and seasonings to pull things out and keep tasting until I like it. You’ll definitely want salt and pepper of course, but sometimes I use cumin, or rosemary, or dill, or chili powder, or onion or garlic powder (or I’ll throw actual diced onion or minced garlic in), the possibilities are endless based on what you have and like.

It’s still strawberry season, and these Strawberry and Cheese Bruschettas – either with mozzarella or with goat cheese – just look so elegant and classy.
Strawberry Bruschetta, vegetarian and easy to put together with fresh strawberries, basil, olive oil and balsalmic vinegar, and fresh mozzarella cheese on good bread Strawberry Bruschetta, vegetarian and easy to put together with fresh strawberries, basil, olive oil and balsalmic vinegar, and fresh goat cheese on good bread

More fruit won’t hurt on the table, such as these Prosciutto wrapped Cantaloupe with Red Pepper Lime Oil and Manchego
Prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe with red pepper lime oil and manchego recipe

Besides your fruit, add more vegetables to your Fourth of July weekend with via this recipe for Chilled Vegetable Pizza that can be a rainbow of various colors depending on what veggies you choose and can easily serve a crowd. You can also adapt this version to have fruit instead for a chilled dessert fruit pizza!
Summer Appetizer Recipe: Chilled Vegetable Pizza with dill/chive cream cheese mixture and broccoli, asparagus, baby carrots, red and orange bell peppers, corn kernels!

Upgrade your pasta salad side dish with a little heat as well as with avocados, corn, and Cotija cheese with this Elote Pasta Salad
Elote Pasta Salad - mixing pasta, pan roasted corn, cotija cheese and avocado

This dessert only has strawberry, but no reason you can’t add blueberries or blackberries to complete the red white and blue, and you will be no fool with this Strawberry Fool Recipe  of blended strawberries with cut strawberries and the fresh whipped vanilla cream.
April Fool's Recipe with no Trick: Strawberry Fool Recipe is blended strawberries with the cut strawberries and the fresh whipped vanilla cream (Grand Marnier optional)

If you are making burgers or hot dogs for a group, consider having a variety of cheeses besides Cheddar such as Swiss or Pepperjack (even if you are doing hot dogs!) and also bacon. Not only can you top your burger with bacon, but believe me, I am happy to add it to my hot dog as well.

Besides ketchup and mustard and relish and pickles, for you might consider having little dish where guests can add toppings of sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, guacamole, salsa (and your guac and salsa can double to go with chips),  bbq sauce and/or blue cheese (MMMM bbq sauce and blue cheese!).

Also, if you haven’t tried this before, if there are potato chips at the party you are having/attending, try taking a handful and adding them on to your burger or hot dog!

For the fourth of July itself, which falls on a Friday this year so I think everyone is enjoying at least a 3 day weekend, I will not be doing any cooking. In fact, instead I’ll be judging cooking- I will be seated as one of the PNWBA judges at the Dallas Oregon Freedomfest BBQ competition. If you are in the area, they will be holding it in Dallas City Park and you will have an opportunity to sample some of the best BBQ in the Northwest ($1 for 2 oz sample) and a fireworks show that evening too! There should be some great teams because at 18 teams, the competition counts as a qualifier for the national competition.

This means that probably during the weekend, there will probably be at least one dish of bbq mac and cheese with some leftovers from the BBQ competition that I take home!

What are you doing for the Fourth of July? Is there a special dish you are making or looking forward to? Are you going to watch the fireworks live or on TV (I personally like the DC ones!)?

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Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe

June 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Of all the seafood, I love lobster the most. There is a lot of sweet meat inside for the effort (unlike say crab) for me to use as a vehicle essentially for butter. Second place then goes to shrimp rather than crab because the ease of getting to shrimp meat, even though I have to eat more of them, makes it easy to enjoy without a lot of work.

Maybe I’m still bitter about the time I was eating crab and wondered why the red sauce was so watery on the plate and then realized even in death, a crab had fought back and cut me. And then that’s how I also learned, after wearing a bandage for a couple days, that I’m allergic to latex. It made sense in retrospect why I always hated the smell of Halloween/latex even before I had this knowledge.

My favorite way of having shrimp is via shrimp scampi. The second way is poached in butter, so really it’s still the same way… swimming in butter, the second most natural place for seafood to be besides in its home origin of water.
Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier

But, there is a way I can make it at home that doesn’t use a whole stick of butter. Instead it relies on just enough butter to add the flavor and help from panko and garlic.

Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1 pound of fresh raw shrimp deveined and peeled. Your choice on whether to cook with the tails so you have something to hold, or remove them before you cook.
  • 2 tablespoons of melted butter
  • 1/2 a lemon: you will be using the juice from 1/2 a lemon plus 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 cup of panko
  • 1/2 cup of grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley

Directions:

  1. On the stovetop, saute the minced shallot until it is a little crispy. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, lemon juice, garlic, , shallot, salt and pepper. Pour into your baking dish (thanks Debbie! I use this gift all the time!) and arrange the shrimp so they are a single layer. I suppose you don’t really have to do this, but I do in order to get all the shrimpies to get the topping next…
    Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and lemon zest enough to blend and spoon onto each and every shrimp in your baking dish. Sprinkle on top the paprika, and then the panko, Parmesan and parsley.
    Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier
  4. Bake in the oven until the shrimp are pink, and the Parmesan has browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier Baked Garlic and Butter Shrimp Recipe that doesn't use a stick of butter, relying instead on lots of garlic and panko to be a bit healthier
After this, you can eat this over brown rice or quinoa, or plain by itself with maybe a chilled glass of white wine?!

What is your favorite kind of seafood?

 

 

 

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Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

May 26, 2014 by 7 Comments

I know this is totally not a Memorial Day recipe in any way. But, I’ve been seeing that mangos are starting to appear at some of the grocery stores, and a weekend or so ago, my friends and I decided to have an Asian themed potluck for our Game of Thrones night. The mains included Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls (very easy- just prep the filling options and everyone else just will select, wrap, and eat, and it’s even pretty healthy!), and there was also an Asian Salad with optional steak. Now that the weather is heating up, this is a great idea for a potluck theme. The two wraps below use the rice paper, but you can also use lettuce wraps as well. It is easy to accommodate for vegetarians since it’s up to everyone whether to add the bbq pork (and alternately you can offer fresh tofu as an option).
Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls Do It Yourself Vietnamese rolls

I contributed a dessert of sticky rice with mango, known in Thai as ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง.
Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

The key to making sweet sticky rice is to make sure you use the right rice- specifically, glutinous rice. You can find these at an Asian grocery store. This is the same sticky rice that you often see served with satay/meat skewers – but in that preparation you don’t use coconut milk.
Glutinous Rice
Speaking of, while you are there at the Asian grocery store, pick up a can of coconut milk too.

When you buy your mangos, make sure they are slightly softer to the touch- similar to when you check avocados. If not, when you peel/cut the mango it will still be a little green and sour, which is fine for some other Thai dishes I know but not for a dessert dish like this.
Mangos

In order to help ripen your mango, you can try a few tricks such as putting it in a paper bag and leaving it on the counter at room temperature. I hear that putting an apple or banana might also help with the ripening process. If you want to slow the ripening because it is already ready but you’re making it fresh the next day, put it in the refrigerator. A ripe mango put in the fridge might last a handful of days, so don’t wait long.

Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

Yields enough for 2, with usually each person getting 1/2 a mango.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of glutinous rice
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp of sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1 sweet, ripe mango (preferably Thai honey mango)
  • 2 tsp of sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Take 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and add it to 1/2 cup of water. Now add the 1/2 cup of glutinous rice and let the rice soak for about 30 minutes. The rice should get fatter as it absorbs the coconut water.
    Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe
  2. After the soaking, do not drain the water. Pour the rice into a pot and simmer on low heat on the stovetop until the rice is cooked and soft. You may need to add a cup or so of water if the rice gets too dry.
  3. In another pot, mix the 1/2 cup of coconut milk with the sugar and salt on simmer until it begins to bubble/is on the verge of boiling. At this point, add it to your cooked glutinous rice and stir to mix. Cover, and let sit on the simmering heat until the rice has absorbed all the coconut milk mixture, about 30 minutes. Taste and see if you’d like to add more sugar for sweetness, or a pinch of salt to balance the sweet.
    Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe
  4. Remove from heat and let the rice cool so it is still warm but no longer hot. This is usually the time I cut the mango to place on top, and garnish with sesame seeds.
    Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

Sooo….

It turns out despite what I wrote before about making sure your mango is ripe, with everything that was going on that weekend I spaced on putting it in the paper bag when I got home, and I didn’t know F put it in the refrigerator. So when the cutting happened, the mango was still a little green. What to do?

I tried to recover my dessert by turning to the fact that green mangoes are often used in Thai cooking and in those cases, there is a spicier take on it. Particularly, Mango Salads are pretty popular. So I decided to make slightly spicy diced mango- I tried to dial back the spice as I knew I had guests who are not lovers of the spicy heat like F and I are.

Sweet Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango Recipe

Spicy Diced Mango

Ingredients:

  • 3 firm mangos, diced
  • 3 small chilies, minced. If you want to dial back the heat, deseed it. Alternately, as I did, since I didn’t have any chilies I used 3 teaspoons of chili powder, or to your taste.
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 3 teaspoons of soy sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Toss together all the ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  2. Let the flavors marinate/mingle for about 30 minutes before serving – if you’d like, chill it in the refrigerator
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Honey Walnut Baked Brie Recipe

May 19, 2014 by 7 Comments

There is never a wrong time for some warm, melty cheese that you scoop and put on top of bread. Especially when your freezer stops being frozen, so the Fressen half loaf of bread needs to be immediately used. Specifically, what you see below is their Vollkornbrot bread, made with Dark Rye and Whole Wheat flour with cracked rye, Sunflower, Flax and Sesame Seeds, and Salt which I picked up at one of the various Farmers Markets they have a booth at, though they are also available at a few stores. 

Honey Walnut Brie Recipe Honey Walnut Brie Recipe.

This serves 4… or 2 if you really just want a lot of cheese. I don’t mind eating the rind (you want to get a young, fresh brie. Older brie may have a tougher rind). If the rind bothers you, try wrapping it with crescent or puff pastry dough so you don’t see it. Ha ha.

Or if you’d really really like (though there is cheese loss this way!), you can cut the very top off, slice very thinly so you don’t lose too much cheese. Leave the rest of the rind at the bottom and sides so it can act sorta like a bowl.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Even though I didn’t chop mine, so you don’t necessarily have to if you really like walnuts
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons of honey plus 1/4 cup honey – I used Bee Local Honey.
  • 1 wheel of brie (8-9 ounce package)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix your 1/4 cup of walnuts with the 2 tablespoons of honey, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Stir well to coat. Alternately, instead of honey and cinnamon you could use maple syrup. I used 1 1/2 cups walnuts with 1/4 cup maple syrup, which is why you see so many nuts. Between the two, I like the cinnamon honey version better… though at that time I also increased the recipe because I eat these walnuts by themselves like candy.
  2. Arrange walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer- you want them all to be flat so they all get fully toasted on the side. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, checking frequently to watch them brown and they should smell toasted. Be careful in watching them as they can very easily burn. Alternatively, you can do the same in a large dry pan on the stovetop at medium high heat, but make sure you watch them constantly and stir them. After removing them from the stovetop, lay them flat in a single layer to cool.
    Honey Walnut Brie Recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix your 1/4 cup of walnuts with the 2 tablespoons of honey,1 /4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and pinch of salt. Stir well to coat. Toast in a large dry pan on the stovetop at medium high heat, but make sure you watch them constantly and stir them.
  3. Unwrap your brie cheese and place your cheese in a baking dish. I recommend putting some sort of parchment paper underneath because it’s about to get sticky messy. Drizzle the honey over the top. Alternately, rather then drizzling your cheese goodness with honey goodness, there are so many kinds of fruit compotes and preserves you could use as well! YUM!
    Honey Walnut Brie Recipe
  4. Place in the oven at 350 degrees F and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Top with the toasted walnuts and serve with sliced bread. Other options would be to include sliced apples, grapes or other fruit, toasted crostini or crackers, roasted garlic…!
    Honey Walnut Brie Recipe Honey Walnut Brie Recipe.

Super simple, but so worth it. Perfect for a rainy day when watching a movie or doing a TV show marathon with a few glasses of wine! Indulgent rich warm cheese on good bread with good honey. There is no way to go wrong with this.

Honey Walnut Brie Recipe

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