Was wir machen in unserer Freizeit

(What we are doing in our free time). Germany has been so much fun so far! We have so many great pictures, but the highlight has unexpectedly been the food! We have been to Cologne and Munich in Germany and are leaving for Rome early tomorrow, but German food has been quite the pleasant surprise.

Deutschland!

We are heading to Germany tomorrow morning and are so pumped! We will be back in a week and a half with lots of pictures.

Risotto

Thanks for all the dinner suggestions! I have yet to make one but I will! The crock-pot lasagna sounds great cause I can cook it while at work. The salmon is good! I have already done that many times. And I want to try the enchilada casserole soon.
But in my searching for new food to try the last couple weeks I can across 2 very good risotto recipes. I had never made it nor am I sure that I have ever really eaten it before. But I went for it and in Adam's words it was "something you would eat at a really expensive restaurant."

The first is from Rachel Ray Click here for link. It was somewhat time consuming but worth it. I did not have pine nuts and it still tasted great.

Popeye Risotto with Beefy Balsamic Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock (use vegetable to make this meal vegetarian)
• 2 cups water
• 2 pounds spinach, stems removed
• 1/2 cup (about a handful) pine nuts, toasted
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 cup (about 2 handfuls) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided, plus additional for passing at the table
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated, plus 1 clove cracked
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 large or 6 small portabello mushroom caps, brushed clean of dirt and sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)

Yields: 4 servings

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Preparation

Bring the water and stock to a boil, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.

While the liquids are heating up, add the spinach, pine nuts, a few grates of nutmeg and a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano to a food processor. Pulse a few times to get everything chopped up. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and water and about 1 tablespoon EVOO. Run the machine to puree and reserve.

Place a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 turn of the pan of EVOO. Add the onions and chopped or grated garlic, and saute until the onions begin to get tender, 4-5 minutes.

Add the arborio rice and toast it in the pan, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Ladle about half of the stock or broth into the pan with the rice and bring it up to a bubble, stirring constantly. Simmer the mixture, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Ladle in about half of the remaining liquid and continue stirring the rice until that liquid has fully absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Ladle in the remaining stock and cook the risotto until most of the remaining liquid has been absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 7 minutes. Season the risotto with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Once you get the risotto going, place another skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining tablespoons of butter and EVOO. Add the mushrooms and cracked clove of garlic into the other pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and add the balsamic. Cook about 1 minute to glaze the mushrooms then remove from heat and discard the garlic clove. Keep the mushrooms warm until the risotto is finished.

Once the risotto and mushrooms have finished cooking, add the spinach puree and remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano to the risotto and give it a good stir. Spoon the risotto out onto a serving dish and top it with the glazed mushrooms. Pass additional Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

(Pictures and recipe from www.rachelrayshow.com)


I made another risotto last night and found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen which is a great food blog. Click here for link.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Serves 4

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

(recipe from Smitten Kitchen which might be from Martha Stewart)


Both recipes made enough for dinner (main course) and then lunch for both Adam and I.

What's for dinner??

If there is one thing I hate about Sunday night/ Monday morning, it's planning meals and making a grocery list for the week. I have completely run out of food ideas (and Adam is no help- he eats anything and has almost no opinion). So please help me! What are you making this week? Thanks!