Wild Mushrooms and Gorgonzola Risotto

I never knew that I liked Gorgonzola.  That's probably because I am not a fan of blue cheese but Gorgonzola dolce is much milder than any blue cheese I have tasted.  It tastes wonderful in pasta and risotto.  This is a recipe that you must try! I have held off on posting this recipe because both times I made it I was too rushed and never took a really nice single serving photo to share with you.  So, the best photo I have is of the risotto in the pot.  It doesn't do it justice but I trust that you all can tell that this is a great recipe and will try it anyway.  Hey, if you do, will you send me your finished photo?  I'd love it if you posted it to my facebook page!

I can't seem to find dried porcinis but I do have a HUGE container of dried mixed mushrooms from costco.  That's what I used and will be using since it will probably last a whole year.  I also added some fresh diced cremini mushrooms and fresh wild mushrooms another time for their texture.  If you decide to add some to yours you can do that after you saute the onions.  Make sure you don't disturb them too much. Whenever you cook mushrooms you want a deep golden color.  They will have a deeper flavor and better texture. 

Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008


Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the porcini mushrooms. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and set aside.

Reheat the stock to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue with remaining stock, adding 1/2 cup at a time, and allowing each addition to be absorbed, until the rice is tender to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, Gorgonzola, chives, salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.


 For a printable version of this recipe, click here. 

Wild Mushrooms and Gorgonzola Risotto

I never knew that I liked Gorgonzola.  That's probably because I am not a fan of blue cheese but Gorgonzola dolce is much milder than any blue cheese I have tasted.  It tastes wonderful in pasta and risotto.  This is a recipe that you must try! I have held off on posting this recipe because both times I made it I was too rushed and never took a really nice single serving photo to share with you.  So, the best photo I have is of the risotto in the pot.  It doesn't do it justice but I trust that you all can tell that this is a great recipe and will try it anyway.  Hey, if you do, will you send me your finished photo?  I'd love it if you posted it to my facebook page!

I can't seem to find dried porcinis but I do have a HUGE container of dried mixed mushrooms from costco.  That's what I used and will be using since it will probably last a whole year.  I also added some fresh diced cremini mushrooms and fresh wild mushrooms another time for their texture.  If you decide to add some to yours you can do that after you saute the onions.  Make sure you don't disturb them too much. Whenever you cook mushrooms you want a deep golden color.  They will have a deeper flavor and better texture. 

Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008


Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (3 ounces) Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the porcini mushrooms. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and set aside.

Reheat the stock to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue with remaining stock, adding 1/2 cup at a time, and allowing each addition to be absorbed, until the rice is tender to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, Gorgonzola, chives, salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.


 For a printable version of this recipe, click here. 

Chorizo Stuffed Potato Poppers

Here's another appetizer I made for the Superbowl. This was another hit and how couldn't it be? Chorizo is awesome!

Ingredients:

2 pounds baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 pound of Chorizo, removed from casings
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion diced
1 1/2 cups of Cheddar
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
chopped scallion, separate white (chopped finely) and green parts




Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Leave the skin on and wash and dry potatoes and cut off a small slice on the bottom of the potato so they sit upright.  Wider side up. Arrange on an oiled baking sheet and season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes or until a knife can be inserted without resistance.  Allow to cool.

3.  When potatoes are cool enough to handle use a melon baller to scoop a hole in the potatoes.  (Reserve the potato that has been removed for breakfast the next day.)

4.  While potatoes are in the oven saute chorizo in a little oil until browned and cooked through.  Make sure to keep breaking up the chorizo with a wooden spoon so you have small pieces.  Add onion and garlic and saute until onions are tender.  Set aside to cool.

5.  Arrange potatoes on a clean baking dish and fill each one with chorizo.  Sprinkle with cheese  and whites of scallions.  Bake at 350 just until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with the rest of the scallions.

Note - It's okay if some of the potato filling falls out when you are filling the potatoes, it all will get eaten and I think it looks pretty.  Reserve any extra chorizo to mix with the reserved potatoes and a couple of eggs for breakfast. 


Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Chorizo Stuffed Potato Poppers

Here's another appetizer I made for the Superbowl. This was another hit and how couldn't it be? Chorizo is awesome!

Ingredients:

2 pounds baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 pound of Chorizo, removed from casings
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion diced
1 1/2 cups of Cheddar
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
chopped scallion, separate white (chopped finely) and green parts




Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Leave the skin on and wash and dry potatoes and cut off a small slice on the bottom of the potato so they sit upright.  Wider side up. Arrange on an oiled baking sheet and season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes or until a knife can be inserted without resistance.  Allow to cool.

3.  When potatoes are cool enough to handle use a melon baller to scoop a hole in the potatoes.  (Reserve the potato that has been removed for breakfast the next day.)

4.  While potatoes are in the oven saute chorizo in a little oil until browned and cooked through.  Make sure to keep breaking up the chorizo with a wooden spoon so you have small pieces.  Add onion and garlic and saute until onions are tender.  Set aside to cool.

5.  Arrange potatoes on a clean baking dish and fill each one with chorizo.  Sprinkle with cheese  and whites of scallions.  Bake at 350 just until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with the rest of the scallions.

Note - It's okay if some of the potato filling falls out when you are filling the potatoes, it all will get eaten and I think it looks pretty.  Reserve any extra chorizo to mix with the reserved potatoes and a couple of eggs for breakfast. 


Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Bacon Cheeseburger Bread

While watching Worst Cooks in America with Steve a couple of weeks ago we saw a recipe that we really wanted to try. It was called Cheeseburger Roulade and considered to be upscale football party food. So what better to make for a football party we were attending, right?  Well I thought that since we were traveling I didn't really want to use puff pastry.  I don't want it to get soggy and fall apart by the time we got there.  So I decided to use pizza dough.  I actually used refrigerated thin crust pizza dough so I didn't have to worry about too much dough and not enough filling.  Regular pizza dough that I get from the pizzeria tends to be a lot thicker and I have a hard time getting it thin enough.  So once I decided on that I took a better look at that recipe and decided that there just wasn't enough seasoning for me and I didn't want to bother with a dipping sauce.  I decided to do a search for Cheeseburger Bread to see if I could find a recipe and what do you know...one of my blogging friends had a recipe for Meatloaf Bread. What do you know!  I loved that she used caramelized onions - brilliant and it's a topping I do love on my burgers!  Thanks Dawn for your creative mind! Please check out her blog Vanilla Sugar for some more great recipes!  I also came across a Rachael Ray recipe and why wouldn't the self proclaimed Queen of the burger have a recipe for this already - so I added some of her recipe as well.  Here is my version of this tasty crowd pleaser!  Oh and a word of advice - MAKE TWO!!!

Bacon Cheeseburger Bread

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon butter
4-6 slices center cut bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound ground beef (I prefer chuck 85% lean)
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of white wine
1 tube refrigerated thin crust pizza dough, stretched out a bit
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.  Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until crispy.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and add butter.   When butter is melted add onions sugar, salt and pepper and saute over medium high heat.  The onions will cook for about 30 minutes or so.  When they stick and begin to brown add white wine.  Continue to cook until onions are tender and golden in color.

3.  Meanwhile in another pan heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add the meat to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic powder, chili powder and smoked paprika to the pan, season with salt and pepper.  Add the mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Add reserved bacon. Let cool. Add a beaten egg. 


4.  Dust a clean surface with cornmeal and then roll out dough onto the work surface. Roll out the dough slightly so it's approximately 11x16".


5.  Top the dough with the cooled meat mixture on the bottom third of the dough.  Top that with the  caramelized onions and cheese. Leave a one-inch border on each side. Fold all the borders in and pull top over to cover meat mixture. Pinch sides and if you have any holes just pinch them closed.  Make a few cuts into the top of the dough so steam releases. 

6.  Brush the roll with egg wash and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Transfer the roll to a baking sheet and bake until dough is evenly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice and serve. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Bacon Cheeseburger Bread

While watching Worst Cooks in America with Steve a couple of weeks ago we saw a recipe that we really wanted to try. It was called Cheeseburger Roulade and considered to be upscale football party food. So what better to make for a football party we were attending, right?  Well I thought that since we were traveling I didn't really want to use puff pastry.  I don't want it to get soggy and fall apart by the time we got there.  So I decided to use pizza dough.  I actually used refrigerated thin crust pizza dough so I didn't have to worry about too much dough and not enough filling.  Regular pizza dough that I get from the pizzeria tends to be a lot thicker and I have a hard time getting it thin enough.  So once I decided on that I took a better look at that recipe and decided that there just wasn't enough seasoning for me and I didn't want to bother with a dipping sauce.  I decided to do a search for Cheeseburger Bread to see if I could find a recipe and what do you know...one of my blogging friends had a recipe for Meatloaf Bread. What do you know!  I loved that she used caramelized onions - brilliant and it's a topping I do love on my burgers!  Thanks Dawn for your creative mind! Please check out her blog Vanilla Sugar for some more great recipes!  I also came across a Rachael Ray recipe and why wouldn't the self proclaimed Queen of the burger have a recipe for this already - so I added some of her recipe as well.  Here is my version of this tasty crowd pleaser!  Oh and a word of advice - MAKE TWO!!!

Bacon Cheeseburger Bread

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon butter
4-6 slices center cut bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound ground beef (I prefer chuck 85% lean)
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of white wine
1 tube refrigerated thin crust pizza dough, stretched out a bit
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.  Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until crispy.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and add butter.   When butter is melted add onions sugar, salt and pepper and saute over medium high heat.  The onions will cook for about 30 minutes or so.  When they stick and begin to brown add white wine.  Continue to cook until onions are tender and golden in color.

3.  Meanwhile in another pan heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add the meat to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic powder, chili powder and smoked paprika to the pan, season with salt and pepper.  Add the mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Add reserved bacon. Let cool. Add a beaten egg. 


4.  Dust a clean surface with cornmeal and then roll out dough onto the work surface. Roll out the dough slightly so it's approximately 11x16".


5.  Top the dough with the cooled meat mixture on the bottom third of the dough.  Top that with the  caramelized onions and cheese. Leave a one-inch border on each side. Fold all the borders in and pull top over to cover meat mixture. Pinch sides and if you have any holes just pinch them closed.  Make a few cuts into the top of the dough so steam releases. 

6.  Brush the roll with egg wash and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Transfer the roll to a baking sheet and bake until dough is evenly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice and serve. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Pasta Forno Siciliano - Sicilian Style Baked Pasta

My Grandmother Emilia wasn't Sicilian but my  Grandmother Josephine was. I know that both of them would LOVE this dish. Now please don't be fooled (ahem, STEVE!) this is NOT Spaghettios. My poor Grandmother would roll over in her grave if I ever bought that, ate it, or even smelled it! This pasta shape is called Anelletti which translates to "rings". I guess you could wear them on your fingers! hahaha!

So this dish is very easy to make and a great alternative to baked ziti or lasagna. It doesn't contain any ricotta but you could definitely add some if you like. I think this is a great recipe for entertaining since it's so pretty and makes a lot. Don't forget to use a beautiful dish - no aluminum for this recipe! I used my Al Fresco Server and I think it looks stunning! What do you think?

Pasta Forno Siciliano

Ingredients:

2 pounds anelleti
1 pound mozzarella, shredded or cubed
Romano Cheese, grated
About 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas (use more or less or even leave it out)
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 recipe Mom's Meat Sauce (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Boil Pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until a few minutes short of al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and will not taste good if it's too soft.

2. Mix Pasta with half of the sauce and add more if necessary. It should be moist but not totally wet. (Use the rest for serving.) Add about 3/4 cup of Romano cheese and peas, toss to combine.

3. Heat butter and oil in a nonstick pan until butter is melted. Add breadcrumbs and approx 2/3 cup of cheese.

4. Add half of the breadcrumb mixture to your casserole dish (make sure it's a pretty one!) and then add half of the pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Add the rest of the pasta and top with the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumb mixture to the top of the pasta.

5. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow pasta to settle before slicing. (I failed to do that and it fell apart a little but still tasted delicious!)

Mom's Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
6-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

Brown ground beef in about 1 Tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the meat so you don't have any large chunks. Drain oil from meat and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in EVOO. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes. Swish water in the cans and add about ½ can of water or as needed so it’s not too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Let cook for ½ hour, stirring occasionally so sauce does not burn. Taste again for seasoning. Add 1 tsp of sugar or a little more if needed. Allow sauce to cook for ½ hour more and taste again.

Click here for a printable recipe of Pasta Forno Siciliano.

Pasta Forno Siciliano - Sicilian Style Baked Pasta

My Grandmother Emilia wasn't Sicilian but my  Grandmother Josephine was. I know that both of them would LOVE this dish. Now please don't be fooled (ahem, STEVE!) this is NOT Spaghettios. My poor Grandmother would roll over in her grave if I ever bought that, ate it, or even smelled it! This pasta shape is called Anelletti which translates to "rings". I guess you could wear them on your fingers! hahaha!

So this dish is very easy to make and a great alternative to baked ziti or lasagna. It doesn't contain any ricotta but you could definitely add some if you like. I think this is a great recipe for entertaining since it's so pretty and makes a lot. Don't forget to use a beautiful dish - no aluminum for this recipe! I used my Al Fresco Server and I think it looks stunning! What do you think?

Pasta Forno Siciliano

Ingredients:

2 pounds anelleti
1 pound mozzarella, shredded or cubed
Romano Cheese, grated
About 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas (use more or less or even leave it out)
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 recipe Mom's Meat Sauce (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Boil Pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until a few minutes short of al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and will not taste good if it's too soft.

2. Mix Pasta with half of the sauce and add more if necessary. It should be moist but not totally wet. (Use the rest for serving.) Add about 3/4 cup of Romano cheese and peas, toss to combine.

3. Heat butter and oil in a nonstick pan until butter is melted. Add breadcrumbs and approx 2/3 cup of cheese.

4. Add half of the breadcrumb mixture to your casserole dish (make sure it's a pretty one!) and then add half of the pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Add the rest of the pasta and top with the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumb mixture to the top of the pasta.

5. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow pasta to settle before slicing. (I failed to do that and it fell apart a little but still tasted delicious!)

Mom's Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
6-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

Brown ground beef in about 1 Tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up the meat so you don't have any large chunks. Drain oil from meat and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in EVOO. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes. Swish water in the cans and add about ½ can of water or as needed so it’s not too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add basil. Let cook for ½ hour, stirring occasionally so sauce does not burn. Taste again for seasoning. Add 1 tsp of sugar or a little more if needed. Allow sauce to cook for ½ hour more and taste again.

Click here for a printable recipe of Pasta Forno Siciliano.

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken

Spatchcocked. I hate that word. I've read a bunch of posts about this method of cooking and a lot of people said that they love this word and think it's funny. For me it's a mouthful and I'd rather say butterflied. In essence it's the same thing. The backbone is removed and the breast bone is broken so the chicken lays flat. This results in an even cooked, juicy and golden brown bird all over! No more flabby skin on the thighs!

There isn't an actual recipe for this and so I'm going to write this post very casually. I made this recipe very simply and took a cue from another blog The Italian Dish. In addition I mixed 2 cloves of garlic with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, salt and some fresh thyme and rubbed it under the skin. I think this also helped the skin to crisp up and of course, added some flavor. I rubbed the outside of the bird with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, the juice of 1 lemon and the juice of one orange. I thought I'd taste the citrus flavor more but I didn't. It was tasty but I couldn't pick out the citrus specifically. Maybe I'll up it a little next time. I roasted the chicken on a cookie sheet topped with a cooling rack at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. There was a lot of delicious drippings on the bottom of the pan and I didn't want to waste them so I made a quick gravy to go along with it.

This was a great method for cooking a whole chicken. It was indeed crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I've seen that this can also be made on the outside grill! Can't wait to try that when the weather allows!

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken

Spatchcocked. I hate that word. I've read a bunch of posts about this method of cooking and a lot of people said that they love this word and think it's funny. For me it's a mouthful and I'd rather say butterflied. In essence it's the same thing. The backbone is removed and the breast bone is broken so the chicken lays flat. This results in an even cooked, juicy and golden brown bird all over! No more flabby skin on the thighs!

There isn't an actual recipe for this and so I'm going to write this post very casually. I made this recipe very simply and took a cue from another blog The Italian Dish. In addition I mixed 2 cloves of garlic with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, salt and some fresh thyme and rubbed it under the skin. I think this also helped the skin to crisp up and of course, added some flavor. I rubbed the outside of the bird with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, the juice of 1 lemon and the juice of one orange. I thought I'd taste the citrus flavor more but I didn't. It was tasty but I couldn't pick out the citrus specifically. Maybe I'll up it a little next time. I roasted the chicken on a cookie sheet topped with a cooling rack at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. There was a lot of delicious drippings on the bottom of the pan and I didn't want to waste them so I made a quick gravy to go along with it.

This was a great method for cooking a whole chicken. It was indeed crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I've seen that this can also be made on the outside grill! Can't wait to try that when the weather allows!