The one with Lemon Risotto

Recently, I went to a cooking class at Central Market and we got to make lemon risotto. It was delicious! I had not tried risotto before because I thought it was hard, but really, it is so easy. It takes a bit of time and you must watch it but it is definitely worth every second.

I had some friends over to try this new found love of risotto and it was a hit. Recipes below.

Ingredients: Risotto (Arborio) Rice, Lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine, shallots, salt and pepper, butter and hot broth in another pan

Melt butter and oil and then add the shallots, salt and pepper. Cook until softened.

 

 Add the arborio rice and cook until translucent at edges

 

Add wine and half of the lemon juice and stir until absorbed. 

Then add 2 ladles of hot broth and stir again until all is absorbed. Add lemon zest now.

Repeat until risotto is creamy and has just a slight al dente bite to it

 

Continue until all the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and add the rest of the lemon juice and parmesan cheese and stir. serve immediately YUM!

Basic Risotto - With Leslie's Lemon twist - Adapted from everyday food

Ingredients
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large shallot, diced small

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice

2 Lemons zested and juiced
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (1/4 ounce)

Directions
1.In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer; reduce heat and keep warm. In a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet or pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is translucent at edges, 1 minute.

2. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes. With a ladle, add about 1 cup broth to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed, 4 minutes. Repeat, gradually adding broth by the cupful and stirring constantly, until rice is tender but still al dente and sauce is creamy (you may not need all of broth), 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Garden Fresh roasted salsa

I just whipped up this fresh roasted salsa using fresh from the farm tomatoes from Uncle Karl and Kathys jalepenos. Delicious! Great way to use up fresh veggies.

1.5 lbs of tomatoes
1 white onion
3-5 fresh jalepenos (some or all seeded depending on how hot you want it)
2 cloves of garlic

Roast these under a broiler 5-10 minutes until blistered turning every few minutes. Let cool then peel tomatoes and garlic and discard the peels

Add all veggies to a blender and puree until the consistency you like for salsa.

Add fresh cilantro if you like and puree a little more.

Then add a tablespoon of lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. If its too spicy add a little sugar an taste until its just right. Freeze and use all year or eat within a week.

Happy salsa!

For the love of a hamburger!

 At our house in the summer, and actually year-round because we are in Texas, the grill is a go-to for any type of cooking. You name it, and we have tried to grill it.

One of our favorites is definitely the hamburger. Can anyone deny that a big juicy homemade hamburger is a staple of summertime? Even with 15th day in a row over 100 degrees I still feel like sweating it out over the grill for a hamburger. A hamburger to me is a blank canvas with a multitude of possibilities, almost as an actual blank canvas would be to an artist.

Choose the meat (portobello's are just as delicious), toppings, bread style, and condiments that you like and you have a delicious burger.

I was sent a link to a top 10 list on how to make a better burger and I cannot let keep it to myself. At the 'A hamburger today' tab of the 'serious eats' website, they have everything one would ever need to know about where to get a burger, different types of burgers, and even a 'Burger Lab' on how to build your own better burger.

A summary of their top 10 steps to a better burger from Seriouseats.com:

1. Grind Your Own Beef
2. Keep Everything Really Cold
3. Weigh and Size Your Patties
4. Use a Thermometer
5. Season Liberally
6. Do Not Salt Beef Until Patties Are Formed
7. Flip Your Burger as Often as You'd Like
8. Don't Futz With Your Meat
9. Choose Your Bun Wisely
10. Don't Let Anyone Tell You What to Put on It

Check it out and may your next burger be juicier, tastier, and better than the last!

 Pictures also from seriouseats.com

The Abriendo Inn Bed and Breakfast

Last month my husband and I were lucky enough to travel to Pueblo, CO for his brother's wedding. It was a beautiful, quaint, historic town and it was a perfect mini vacation. We got to stay at a bed and breakfast called "Abriendo Inn" http://www.abriendoinn.com/. If you have never stayed at a B&B you should give it a try. Usually, they are locally owned and operated and breakfast is included in the nightly rate of the room. We have stayed at a few in our travels and all have been great but Abriendo takes the cake!

 The front of Abriendo Inn

Dining room, entry, and stairs with stained glass windows

Abriendo Inn has been rated the best bed and breakfast in many Colorado publications. It is a historic home with 10 rooms to choose from, each with their own style and decor. The house has a big porch that we spent quite a bit of time relaxing on, and a beautiful neighborhood to take a walk around. The staff is wonderful and made a wonderful wedding weekend for the whole family.

Of course, I wouldn't be talking about the Abriendo Inn without mentioning their delicious breakfast. I have some pictures below and they offer some recipes on their website. It was delicious!

Breakfast #1: Oven poached eggs with herbed cream cheese on top of Mexican style beef on corn polenta with homemade herb bread and scones.

It was sweet and savory and I am definitely going to start poaching eggs in the oven.

Breakfast #2: Vegetable frittata with herbed skillet potatoes, bacon and homemade apricot bread.

Again a delicious start of the day!