Chicken and Risotto

I like the food network, but lately I've just been sick of the late night shows that are all I end up watching because I get home from work at 6 or 7pm. I mean how many cake-making challenges can a person watch? But since we got DVR I've been recording some of the daytime shows when they actually cook food. Sandra Lee is one of them, and though I know a lot of people complain that she uses a lot of supermarket/prepared ingredients like spice mixes, etc., it's really the most realistic way to cook for some people who either need to save money or save time. I am often that person, and then other times I want to do everything from scratch. One episode of Sandra's Money Saving Meals involved a Chicken Scaloppine and Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto. I was intrigued to make the risotto because I've never done it before and she made it look so easy. Simple it was not, but the meal is really something anybody could try and be relatively successful at. And it tasted yummy. All I need to figure out is how to prevent the risotto from sticking to the bottom of the skillet like that Iranian burnt rice :P

Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto

from Sandra Lee

This recipe actually makes quite a bit of risotto, because it's designed to make a second recipe as leftovers. I just made the whole thing cause it's that good that I knew I would want more :)

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cans water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the top off the head of garlic. Put it on a large square of aluminum foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the extra-virgin olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the foil around and over the garlic. Roast until it is soft, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Pour the 2 cans of broth into a saucepan, over low heat, and add 3 cans of water. Bring to a simmer.
In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to toast.
Add 2 ladles full of hot broth to the pan and gently stir the rice. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust the heat so that the pan is just gently bubbling. Continue adding broth and stirring until all the broth is used and the rice is cooked but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is nice and creamy, stir in the butter, Parmesan and the garlic pulp. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Chicken Scaloppine

adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Slice the breasts in half, lengthwise. Pound the 4 pieces between sheets of plastic wrap to flatten them, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Coat the chicken with the flour, shaking off any excess.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Mix together and when the butter has melted add the chicken, working in batches, until they are golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, to a serving platter, cover and keep warm. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook it over high heat until it reduces by half and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and basil. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken serve with the Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto.

Comfort food

I've been looking for comforting foods to make at home recently - I guess the winter and snow will do that :) I never realized how much I love grilled cheese until I made it to take to a friend's house the other day. I really don't use my Foreman grill enough, but this is the perfect reason to take it out and "fire" it up! The great thing about grilled cheese is that it's really just a sandwich and that means you can put in it whatever you want. My personal fave is grilled cheese and sliced tomatoes. Hot tomatoes have a really beautiful texture and go great with gooey cheese in my opinion. So far I've only made these with white sandwich bread because all the recipes I looked at used it, but since white bread is not really a healthy option I'm planning to try it out with whole wheat bread soon.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

White sandwich bread

Melted butter or olive oil

Shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese you want, mix even)

Sliced fresh tomatoes (optional)

To make:

Preheat a Foreman grill or grill pan to medium heat. For each sandwich, brush butter or olive oil onto each side of two slices of bread. On one slice of bread, pile on 2-3 tablespoons of cheese. Add slices of tomato if using, and cover with remaining slice of bread. Spray preheated grill or pan with cooking spray, and arrange sandwiches. Cook for 2-3 minutes in closed Foreman grill or 2-3 minutes on each side in pan until cheese is melted and bread is toasted and golden. Serve with tomato soup for a filling meal.