Chicken and Wild Rice

Last Year's Post:  Korean Seafood Pancakes

Two Years Ago:   Smashed Potatoes

I was watching a cooking show the other day where the star was making a casserole with what she claimed was wild rice.  It was actually a rice blend that was probably 90% white rice with a few grains of wild rice sprinkled in.  If you're from the Upper Midwest as I am where wild rice is hallowed, this is unforgivable.  When we talk about wild rice, we mean 100% wild rice.  It got me thinking nostalgically about Byerlys, the best grocery store in the world, and all their great wild rice recipes (they also have a cooking school, a catering function, gift shops, and chandeliers....in. the. grocery. stores.) Plus, they have every gourmet ingredient you could ever imagine - kind of like Whole Foods but ten times bigger and better.  I miss Byerlys.

Anyway, it inspired me to look up their chicken and wild rice recipe, which I've had for probably 20 years at least.  One way I could tell it was relatively old (and from Minnesota, where ketsup is a spice) is that it called for canned mushroom soup and canned mushrooms but almost nothing in terms of seasoning.  I remember really liking the recipe but had a strong suspicion that if I made it today it would taste really bland.  

So, I fell down the recipe-remake rabbit hole and ended up changing almost everything. Chicken cutlets were substituted for chicken breasts to cut down on portion size and calories.  Kale and roasted red peppers were added for taste, nutrition and color. A healthy homemade sauce replaced the canned soup, and fresh wild mushrooms replaced the canned mushrooms.  Fresh thyme and garlic were added for seasoning, and toasted almonds for crunch.  Whew.

The wild rice can be cooked in advance.  (For that matter, you could prepare the whole thing in advance and just bake it on the night on the night you want it.)  After cooking the wild rice, the sauce is prepared starting with wilting the kale, then sauteing the mushrooms.

The sauce continues by making a roux with butter and flour, then adding the liquids slowly so it doesn't get lumpy.  The kale and red peppers are added, then some of the sauce is reserved before adding the wild rice and most of the almonds (save a few for garnish) to the remainder.

The wild rice goes in a prepared dish, topped with the chicken cutlets.  I had two small chicken cutlets and one large breast so I ended up cutting them into similar pieces which resulted in 6 smallish pieces total.

Top the chicken with the remaining sauce and cheese, then bake.

When you change a recipe that much you have to be prepared that it isn't going to be right the first time, but I was really happy with the results and wouldn't change a thing.  It was delicious and had great texture from the chewy wild rice and crunchy almonds.  Yes, it's more work than opening a few cans, but it tastes better and it's so much healthier.  You could use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, turkey or ham just as easily. Or as an alternative, you could saute the cutlets separately and place them on top of the plated wild rice so you can see the chicken better, but I like serving it this way...the Byerlys way.  Sigh.

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Chicken and Wild Rice

Serves 4

2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup wild rice

1/2 bunch of kale, leaves stripped off steams and chopped

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced or grated

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup 2% milk

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup dry sherry

¼ cup sour cream

½ cup chopped roasted red bell peppers

4 chicken cutlets or 2 chicken breasts cut in half horizontally

1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded (or parmesan, or a combination of both)

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Salt and pepper

Rinse and drain the wild rice.  Bring water or broth to boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the wild rice; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes.  Check to determine if grains are swollen and most are split.  If not, check again every five minutes until done (typically 45-50 minutes).  Remove from heat, drain, and set aside to cool. (May be made a day or two in advance.  Keep covered and refrigerated.)

Spray a 9”x12” baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-­high heat. Add the kale and 1 cup of water to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10­ minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted. Once the kale is wilted and most of the water has been absorbed, remove the kale and drain well.

Return the saucepan to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the skillet is hot, add the mushrooms in a single layer. Let cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then stir and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the butter to the skillet. Once the butter is melted reduce the heat and add the garlic, thyme and nutmeg and cook for about 10 seconds.

Combine the milk, broth and sherry in a measuring cup.  Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth combination a little at a time, stirring constantly to allow the flour to absorb the liquid before adding more (this prevents lumps).  Increase the heat and bring to a boil; cook stirring constantly for 2-­3 minutes until thickened. Add the sour cream and stir to combine, then add the kale and roasted red peppers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and reserve 1 ½ cups of sauce, then add the remaining sauce to the cooked wild rice. Pour the wild rice mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Lay the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture and cover with the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover with foil.  Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake or broil a few more minutes to lightly brown the top.

Mexican Baked Egg Casserole

Last Year's Post:  Pesto for the Freezer
Two Years Ago:   Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

When I first saw this recipe from a restaurant in Mexico City I fell in love with the little individual casserole dishes they used and spent a fair amount of time looking for "individual casserole dishes with handles" online until I realized they were actually French onion soup bowls, easily found at my local Bed, Bath and Beyond.  You may choose to make a large family casserole instead but I'm obsessed with anything individual or miniaturized so I just had to have them.

Anyway, this casserole is equally perfect for a weekday dinner or a lazy weekend brunch with layers of beans, ham or turkey, eggs, salsa and cheese all baked until the cheese is nice and gooey.  The original recipe called for re-fried beans, thin slices of ham, eggs, red salsa, and cheese.  I made it lighter by using whole beans instead of re-fried and salsa verde instead of ranchero sauce (basically red salsa) but the specifics are up the you - any beans, ham or turkey, red salsa or green, and your favorite cheese.  You can cook your own beans and make your own salsa verde (my favorite recipe follows) or you can buy a can of beans and a jar of your favorite salsa, which is perfectly fine.

Assuming you have beans and salsa already prepared, this dish takes about 20-25 minutes to prepare so it's pretty easy even for a weeknight dinner.

 I sauteed the ham in a little butter to add color and flavor but that's optional.

Then you start layering: salsa verde, beans, ham, egg, more salsa, cheese.

Pop them in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts and you're done.  One tip -  slightly undercook your eggs (although making sure the whites are done) because they'll cook a little more in the oven.  If you don't like runny yolks that's fine, but they add a nice rich sauce as you eat.

I served the eggs with toast and strawberries for brunch, but if I served the eggs for dinner I would probably add either tortilla chips or warm tortillas alongside.

One last thought about the Salsa Verde - it's lighter and brighter than red salsas and totally delicious when the vegetables are grilled for a nice smoky touch.  And it's easy:  grill, puree, then simmer for a few minutes with some lime juice.  The salsa keeps well in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for up to a week or for several months when frozen.  I always make this salsa and my favorite red salsa every fall and freeze plenty for the winter months.

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Mexican Baked Egg Casserole

Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 eggs

Salt and pepper

Non-stick spray

1 tablespoon butter

1 ½ cups chopped turkey or ham

2 cups whole black or pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

2 cups red salsa or Salsa Verde (recipe follows for Salsa Verde)

2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded cheese such as Oaxaca, mozzarella or cheddar

Preheat oven to 375d.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.  Crack each egg into a small bowl one at a time and slide into the skillet (this prevents any shell bits from getting in the skillet).  Alternately, use a small individual egg pan to cook each egg.  Cook until the eggs are just shy of the way you like them since they’ll cook a little more in the oven, but make sure the whites are fully cooked.  Remove to a plate and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium non-stick skillet and sauté the turkey or ham pieces for a few minutes until lightly browned.  Set aside. Warm the beans and salsa separately in the microwave. 

To assemble, spray a casserole dish (or individual ramekins or soup bowls) with non-stick spray.  Add a thin layer of salsa, then the beans and ham or turkey.  Place the eggs on top, then cover with a generous layer of salsa and add the shredded cheese over all.

Place in the oven until the cheese has completely melted, 8-10 minutes, then turn to broil for 30-60 seconds to lightly brown the cheese if desired.  Serve immediately.

Salsa Verde

Makes about 4 cups

6 unpeeled garlic cloves

11 fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed

1 large onion, quartered through root end

3-4 jalapeno chiles

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon sugar

Coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Korean Sliders

Last Year's Post: Rustic Greens and Potato Pie
Two Years Ago:  Artisan Meatloaf

A new and unfamiliar ingredient can divide people into two camps just as fast as religion or politics.  There's the "I don't want to buy a new ingredient for just one recipe that I don't even know what it is or what it tastes like or where to find it" camp.  I call them the Uber-Practicals.  Then there's the "What's that ingredient?  I've never heard of it before!  I feel an adventure coming on!" camp.  I call them the Insatiably Curious with Possibly Not Enough To Do.  Guess which camp I fall in?

So, I've been on a Korean food kick lately and decided I wanted to make Korean sliders because I thought the bold flavors would work particularly well in slider form as opposed to a big burger.  Midway through my recipe research, I stumbled across Gochujang.  Hmmmmm.  Gochujang?  An opportunity to head to my local Asian market!    Turns out Gochujang is a hot pepper paste that's quite common to Korean cooking - at least it comes in a tub that's big enough that I assume they use it a lot.  This was the small sized tub - the large size was at least twice as large.  At least it wasn't expensive.

The description "hot pepper paste" gave me pause, but The Lawyer and I tasted it by itself before adjusting amounts in the recipe and our tongues didn't fall off.  The top of the tub characterized it as medium on the hotness scale, and I would agree.  I suggest starting with a smaller amount of Gochujang in the cabbage relish and sauce, then adjusting by tasting and adding more until you reach the heat level you like.  As written, I consider the sliders to be medium on the heat scale but everyone's tastes are different.

For you Uber Practicals, you can substitute Chili Garlic Sauce (easily found in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores) or Sriracha sauce or any hot pepper sauce you have on hand - just be sure to start with a small amount before adding more to your taste.

I decided to go with a cabbage relish on the top of the sliders that's vaguely reminiscent of kimchi, the Korean fermented cabbage dish that's spicy and sour.  This version is fresher, not as hot and not as sour plus it doesn't involve the addition of dried shrimp (bleh). If you're a Kimchi fan by all means feel free to substitute. 

A bit of the Gochujang goes in the cabbage relish, so it's slightly spicy and also has a vinegary bite.  Garlic, green onions and ginger go in the sliders (made with turkey so they're healthy) which are pan-browned and coated in a wonderful sauce made from Gochujang, sesame oil and soy sauce.  You can adjust the amount of heat you like by adding more or less Gochujang in both the cabbage and sauce.

Cucumber and radish add freshness and crunch, and a light coating of mayo adds creaminess and tones down the heat a bit.

I was really pleased with the way these came out.  If you like Korean food I hope you give them a try.  And by the way, they're perfect pub food with a cold beer.  Now what to do with the rest of the Gochujang?

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Korean Sliders

Makes 8 sliders

Note:  Gochujang is a Korean hot pepper paste, commonly sold in a tub.  You’ll find it in the grocery aisles of your local Asian market.  If you can’t find it, chili garlic sauce may be substituted, which is readily available in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores.

3 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage

½ cup thinly sliced green onions, divided

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, divided

2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided

4 teaspoons Gochujang, divided*

1 carrot, shredded

1 lb ground turkey

2 teaspoons peanut oil or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup mayonnaise

4 radishes, sliced

8 thin cucumber slices

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

8 white or whole wheat slider buns

To make the cabbage relish, combine cabbage, ¼ cup green onions, rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon each garlic and ginger, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon Gochujang.  Set aside, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or so to soften slightly and meld flavors.

To make the sliders, combine ground turkey, remaining ¼ cup green onions, remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon of ginger, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.  Shape into 8 small patties; flatten like mini-burgers.

In a large non-stick pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add turkey patties and brown on both sides. 

While the patties are browning, in a small bowl mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon Gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.  When the patties are browned, drain off the fat (if necessary) and add sauce ingredients.  Turn the patties to coat with sauce and simmer on low, turning regularly, until the patties are nicely coated with sticky sauce and fully cooked through.

To assemble, lightly spread slider buns with mayonnaise and place cucumber and radish slices on the bottom of each.  Top with a turkey patty, then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  With a slotted spoon, drain cabbage relish mixture slightly before placing some on top of each patty.  Serve the remaining cabbage relish on the side.

*If you’re unfamiliar with Gochujang, start with a smaller amount  and add more after tasting until you reach the heat level you prefer.  

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Last Year's Post: Holiday Breakfast Strata
Two Years Ago:  The Best Cranberry Relish

Street food is all the rage right now, which basically translates into anything you can eat while walking around, especially without utensils.  I think the popularity of food trucks has a lot to do with it.  The issue is that most food truck food is really high in fat and calories.  I'd put this recipe up against the best Asian food truck in town without hesitation from a taste standpoint, but it gets even better because the wraps are very healthy.  They're made with lettuce and ground turkey, and they're bursting with big flavors and crunch.  Although they're are very good on their own, the dipping sauce elevates them to a whole new level.  I found this recipe who-knows-where about 20 years ago and have been making it ever since, because it's that good.

The recipe makes twelve wraps, enough for six main dish servings, and the meat freezes very well so you can pull these out and warm them up any night of the week for a quick meal.  They're also great for lunch at work the next day. The turkey can be either grilled or broiled which means you can make them any time of the year.  If you're serving them for a party it would be fun to let people assemble their own wraps with the garnishes of their choice - bean sprouts, red bell pepper strips, chopped peanuts, cilantro, and some lime wedges.  I'd even put out some sriracha (Thai chile hot sauce) for those who really like it hot - there's always at least one in every crowd.

Start by making the sauce, which is really easy because you just chop a little cilantro and stir everything together.  The sauce is pungent, slightly sharp, slightly hot, and a perfect counterpoint to the lettuce wraps.

For the turkey filling, you mix aromatics, seasonings and other ingredients with ground turkey (best done using your hands, wearing disposable plastic gloves).

The turkey mixture is shaped into little logs and then grilled or broiled.

For the lettuce wrap, choose relatively large and flexible leaves - leaf lettuce or bibb lettuce work well.  Don't use romaine - it's too stiff and the rib is too big. Pile on the garnishes, fold them up and dip away!

printable recipe

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Makes 6 entrees or 12 appetizers

1 beaten egg

½ cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts

1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chili oil or a dash of ground red pepper

20 ounces ground raw turkey

12 large leaves of bibb or leaf lettuce (red or green)

Fresh cilantro sprigs

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

½ cup chopped peanuts for garnish, optional

Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Combine all dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the egg, water chestnuts, bread crumbs, green onion, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, salt and chili oil.  Add the turkey and mix well.  Shape into twelve 4 x 1.5 x .75” cigar-shaped logs.  Grill over medium-hot coals or broil 3 inches from heat for 12 to 14 minutes or until juices run clear, turning once.  Place in lettuce leaves and top with pepper strips, bean sprouts, cilantro and peanuts (optional).  Fold lettuce over to form wraps and serve with dipping sauce.

Spinach, Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad

Last Year's Post: Grilled Cheese with Pesto, Spinach and Avocado

Summer is such a wonderful opportunity for those of us who are trying to eat healthy.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, beautiful and cheap, and fresh salads seem so appealing.  But it's easy to get into a salad rut and start to get bored, which is never good.  Life is too short and calories are too precious to be bored with what you eat. (Although I do know an elite ultra-marathon athlete who regards food as fuel and eats pretty much the same thing each day, which I can't even imagine.  He's been known to do a 135 mile bike ultra-marathon in the middle of winter at temperatures down to -30 degrees, which I also can't imagine.)

I always think that if I'm not excited about what I'm going to eat then something is wrong, which is why I tend to post a lot of different salad recipes such as The Perfect Little Summer Salad, Chicken Salad with Fruits and Peppadews, Wild Rice Salad, Summer Salad with Cheese, Fruit and Nuts, Farro, Kale & Smoked Mozzarella Salad, and French Chicken Salad among others.  I'm always looking for new salad recipes and was very excited when I found a new one for spinach salad with fresh blueberries, goat cheese, cucumber, and edamame.  What an interesting and refreshing combination!  Not only is it beautiful, but very healthy as well with  no less than three superfoods - spinach, blueberries and edamame.

The original recipe was vegetarian but it's easily made into a main dish by the addition of crumbled bacon or cooked chicken, turkey, pork or duck so it's a great opportunity to customize the salad to your tastes or use up leftover cooked meat.  You can further customize it by changing the cheese from goat to blue cheese or fontina or any other cheese you like.

I think I'm usually pretty good at envisioning what a recipe will taste like, but this one surprised me.  Not the main ingredients of the salad, but the salad dressing - it has a touch of Dijon mustard that I hadn't really focused on prior to trying the recipe.  If I had, I would've been skeptical that a mustard vinaigrette would somehow magically tie all the ingredients together including the blueberries, but it does.  Try it yourself and see if you agree.

The only ingredients in the salad that are cooked are the meat and the edamame, so if you plan ahead for those two items (or head to the salad bar - my local salad bar carries edamame and numerous meat items) the rest of the salad can come together in literally just a few minutes. It's a great no-cook alternative for a hot summer day.

Spinach, Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 4

For the dressing:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the salad:

1 package pre-washed spinach

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup chopped seedless cucumber

1 cup cooked edamame

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (or crumbled bacon or other meat)

 In a small bowl combine mustard, lemon juice, sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until dressing comes together and sugar is dissolved.

Place spinach leaves in large bowl. Add blueberries, cucumber, edamame, goat cheese and chicken.  Add the salad dressing, toss to combine, and serve.

Turkey and Gruyere French Dip

French Dip Au Jus is a classic sandwich normally made with beef.  This is a twist on the classic that has melted Gruyere and spinach in addition to tender turkey served with a delicious onion dipping sauce.

Although the recipe starts by cooking a turkey breast in a slow cooker, I'm publishing this post now because many of you probably have leftover turkey in your refrigerator at the moment.  This is a great way to use some of the turkey - just buy and prepare a packet of french onion soup as the dipping sauce.  Or make it even easier by buying a container of french onion soup at a local soup and salad bar.  I love turkey enough that I make this any time of the year and the slow cooker method ensures the turkey is moist and tender every time.  (Another recipe idea for leftover turkey: Wild Rice Salad )

As with many classic recipes, it's the combination of flavors and textures that makes a French Dip great - crisp french roll, rich meat, and flavorful dipping sauce that infuses everything with onion flavor.  This version is just that much better with the cheese and spinach.  Cheese makes pretty much anything better in my opinion. The baguette is briefly toasted under the broiler to melt the cheese, which also makes the bread nice and crisp. You could also certainly make this recipe by substituting leftover thin sliced roast beef or pork.

For those of you who didn't take high school French, you might not know that "au jus" actually means with juices.  Don't ask me why the name French Dip au Jus is half English and half French.  I decided to simplify and leave the au jus part off altogether.

Not only did I take French for a few years in high school, I took two ill-fated semesters of Russian in college (the second semester is the only class I've ever actually dropped out of) and a couple years of Spanish to complete my college language requirement.  All I remember as a sum total of all those years is Si, Da, Nyet, Oui, and Au Jus.   Augh.

 click here for a printable recipe

Turkey and Gruyere French Dip

Serves 6

Note:  if using leftover roast turkey, just purchase French onion soup as the dipping sauce.

 For the turkey:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (3-pound) bone-in turkey breast

For the sandwiches:

6 individual (demi) French baguettes, sliced in half lengthwise
2-3 cups fresh baby spinach
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
12 slices Gruyere cheese

For the turkey: in a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter and fresh herbs.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Spread the chopped onions over the bottom of a slow cooker.  Pour the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce into the slow cooker.  Sprinkle the turkey with salt and pepper, then slather it with herb butter, spreading half under the skin.  Place the turkey on top of the onions, breast side up.  Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, checking the temperature after 4 hours. Once the internal temperature reaches 170d, remove the turkey from the slow cooker, transfer to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing the skin and slicing thinly.

Remove the juices and onions from the slow cooker and keep warm as a dipping sauce.

For the sandwiches:  preheat the broiler.  Brush each cut side of the baguettes with softened butter and place on a baking sheet, buttered side up.  Top one side of each baguette with 2 cheese slices.  Place under the broiler until the cheese melts.  Remove from the oven and place a layer of spinach and turkey on the other half of each baguette.  Close the sandwich and serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Spring Risotto

Risotto is a classic Italian comfort food consisting of creamy rice and Parmesan cheese. This recipe freshens up the classic for spring with the addition of peas, asparagus, smoked turkey (or ham), mozzarella, and pesto. It's a main dish entree that makes a complete meal when served with a salad.

For some reason I was always mildly intimidated by the thought of making risotto - I guess the process seemed somewhat mysterious and complicated. Turns out if you can use a spoon to stir you can make risotto. Even my friend John, who's been known to oven-roast tomatoes into charcoal briquettes, could handle this one.  (John says he put them in the oven, then forgot about them and went out with his buddies for the afternoon.  Lucky he didn't burn the house down.)

John's "oven-roasted" tomatoes

The only trick to making risotto is that you need to use arborio rice because it has a higher starch content than most rice varieties. The starch combines with hot broth as you stir to create the creamy sauce that's the hallmark of risotto.

My tip of the day is how to clean leeks.  Leeks are large, mild-flavored members of the onion family that are excellent at trapping dirt as they grow. I learned a great technique a few years ago regarding how to ensure you get them absolutely clean.  The trick is to slice them up first, then throw them into a strainer and lower the strainer into a large bowl of cold water.  Agitate the water with your hand to remove the dirt, then lift the strainer of clean leeks out of the bowl of water and drain.  Presto!  Clean leeks.  Much easier than trying to rinse them before cutting or trying to fish all the little pieces out of the water individually.

leeks in strainer in bowl of cold water

rinsed and drained

I think one of the reasons this recipe reminds me so much of spring is because of the wonderful green colors - from light to dark - of the leeks, asparagus, peas and pesto.  I hope you enjoy it!

* * click here for a printable recipe version * *

Risotto with Peas, Asparagus and Pesto
Serves 4

Kosher salt
3 leeks (white and light green parts only)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine (optional)
2 cups fresh or frozen asparagus spears cut into 1” pieces
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
¾ cup diced smoked turkey or ham
½ cup pesto
1 cup diced fresh mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan
pepper


Slice each leek lengthwise and then crosswise into thin slices. Rinse in cold water and drain. To make the broth, bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes; remove with a slotted sp[oon to a bowl. Adjust the heat to keep the broth at a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, about one more minute. Add two cups of the hot leek broth to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until almost absorbed, about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat to keep the risotto at a simmer during this process. Add one more cup of broth and cook, stirring, for three more minutes. Add the asparagus to the pot and stir for an additional two minutes, then add the leeks, peas, and one more cup of broth. Cook, stirring, until almost absorbed, about 5-6 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it’s al dente.

Stir in the turkey and remaining one tablespoon of butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto, mozzarella, and parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper.