Shiitake Mushrooms & Calamata Olives Risotto

Shiitake Mushrooms & Calamata Olives Risotto

2012-7-18

I've been planning and getting excited about cooking risotto for awhile now. And it finally happened today. I spent like three or four hours in the kitchen working on this, and most of it wasn't even preparation. Sauteing and stirring the rice took FOREVER. Well, not forever, but given that I have four very small children, this took more time than I could afford.

I got my recipe inspiration from Tyler Florence on his Mushroom Risotto at foodnetwork.com. I made several adjustments, tweaks, and adjustments to make the recipe more my own. This recipe will continue to change and grow, as I perfect the recipe and make it mine.

Ingredients:

• 8 c. chicken broth (I don't remember my measurement equivalents. I learned or was reminded that 1 quart has 4 c. - I used 2 boxes of the chicken broth)
• olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 sprigs of thyme
• 2 tbs parsley - I couldn't find any fresh parsley. Wish I had.
• 2 tbs butter
• sea salt, colorful peppercorn (ground fresh, on the spot, with my pepper mill)
• truffle oil - a drizzle here, a drizzle there
• 2 c. Arborio rice
• 1/2 c. chianti - I used whatever wine I happened to have
• soy sauce - a dab here, a dab there
• four cloves of garlic - minced
• chives - chopped finely

• I served the risotto with fresh calamata olives, on top

I must confess, I have a very limited budget with which to work, and this is one of the greatest ingredient indulgences I've used to date: truffle oil. This is the first time I've used it in any cooking. I guess I am no Master Chef home cook expert.

Directions:

1. On low to medium heat, with some olive oil, cook half the garlic & half the onion until translucent or somewhat clear.
2. Add mushrooms, herbs (spices), butter until lightly brown. Add some sea salt. Drizzle a bit of truffle oil (use only a minimal amount, because truffle oil carries a powerful and sometimes overwhelming flavor). Add 1 c. of chicken broth. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute for a minute or two, then set aside.
3. Using same pan, add some more olive oil. Add the other 1/2 of the onion and the rest of the garlic. Saute (like step 1) until transparent. Add rice and stir quickly, for a few minutes. Stir in the wine and stir. 
4. Slowly add 1 c. of chicken broth and stir until the broth has been absorbed by the rice.
5. Repeat Step 4 until all the broth is stirred in.
6. Transfer mushrooms to rice mixture.
7. When done, add chives and stir briefly.
8. When plated (placed in a bowl or plate), sprinkle some parsley and calamata olives on top.

If you're so intrigued, the remainder of this post is a photo essay of the directions or cooking process:

Step by Step Photo Directions:

1. On low to medium heat, with some olive oil, cook half the garlic & half the onion until translucent or somewhat clear.

2. Add mushrooms, herbs (spices), butter until lightly brown. Add some sea salt. Drizzle a bit of truffle oil (use only a minimal amount, because truffle oil carries a powerful and sometimes overwhelming flavor).

Add 1 c. of chicken broth. Add some salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute for a minute or two, then set aside. (I apologize I don't have any photographs of me adding the chicken broth to the pan.)

3. Using same pan, add some more olive oil. Add the other 1/2 of the onion and the rest of the garlic. Saute (like step 1) until transparent.

Add rice and stir quickly, for a few minutes. Stir in the wine and stir.

4. Slowly add 1 c. of chicken broth and stir until the broth has been absorbed by the rice.

Repeat Step 4 until all the broth is stirred in.

This is the ladle I used to spoon the broth. To do step four, I used two ladles full at a time.

6. Transfer mushrooms to rice mixture.

7. When done, add chives and stir briefly.

8. When plated (placed in a bowl or plate), sprinkle some parsley and calamata olives on top.

Done!

Delectable seared tuna

Delectable Seared Tuna

My of my favorite grocery stores had a sale on the Ahi Tuna. We've been trying to watch our grocery expenses, since that is one expense that's not fixed. But, I couldn't pass this up.

If you have been following me on this recipe blog, you're well aware that I'm trying to avoid cooking meats and seafood when possible, to maintain the juiciness and flavor of the item in question. I believe this tuna is sushi grade, so it can actually be safely consumed raw. I thought seared tuna would be absolutely delectable. When I first took a photograph of the cooked tuna, "oh crap, I cooked it too long went through my mind." As you can see, it's not very pink in the middle one the right hand side and no trace of pink can be seen on the left. Turned out and tasted exquisite. Could have been cooked just a tad less. Not too chewy (a mark of cooking it too long).

Here it was at the beginning of the cooking process. Not a bad looking piece, eh?

Oh, and by the way, those are fresh calamata olives in the top photograph. I purchased them whole and not pitted, at the same store. I have a olive/cherry pitter, so the job of pitting and cutting those olives wasn't hard. NEVER use canned olives, because they don't have that deliciously rich taste. Oh, and I did not cook the olives.

Didn't leave me hungry or too full. Satisfied and feeling great. Can't wait for my husband to come home so he can enjoy his portion. I was too hungry to wait for him.