Last weekend, I made a fabulous meal. What? Conceited? Maybe a little, but rightfully so. . . well, almost. The pork I made as the protein for the entree sucked, but we just set that aside and enjoyed my low-fat carmelized carrot risotto and some sauteed baby zucchini for dinner, and fresh rhubarb cake for dessert. Because I like things very light and healthy... and happen to be on Weight Watchers (9.6 lbs in 4 weeks, thanks very much) I adapted them heavily. My adaptations are in parenthesis.
Sunset Magazine's Carmelized Carrot Risotto2 Tbsp of Oil, divided (I used closer to 2 tsp. of very high quality olive oil, and supplimented a touch with chicken stock)
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, divided (I used 2 Tsp.)
6 Med. Carrots, peeled and chopped as finely as possible, 1/4 in. dice suggested, about 3 cups
About 1/2 tsp. salt.
1 tsp. sugar
5 C. reduced-sodium chicken broth (I actually used Chicken Stock for more flavor, since I didn't use as much butter or oil)
1/2 C. minced onion ( I think I used a shallot, it was all I had.)
1 1/2 C. Arborio Rice
1/2 C. Dry White Wine
1/4 C. Marscapone cheese (I used 2 Tbsp. of Organic Light Whipped Cream Cheese)
1/4 C. freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese, plus more for garnish.
1 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish (I omitted this completely, and think the crap tastes awful. Why, WHY is parsley in everything?)
1 tsp. roughly chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. White Pepper (I didn't have this, just cracked some black pepper)
1. Heat 1 Tbsp each of butter and oil (I used 1 tsp. of each, and added a splash of stock) over medium heat in a large sautee pan. (Deep!). Add carrots and stir with a wooden spoon until well coated. Add 1/2 cup water, salt and sugar. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until water evaporated and carrots are just starting to brown. Reserve half the carrots for garnish. In a blender (I used a mini food processor), puree other half with 3/4 c. hot water.
2. Bring broth to a simmer and keep at a simmer, covered, over low heat.
3.Heat remaining oil and butter in same, unwashed pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add rice, stirring to coat rice with oil. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine evaporates. Add carrot puree and cook, stirring until mixture no longer looks soupy.
4. Add 1/2 c. hot broth, stirring often, until rice absorbs most of the liquid. Repeat process, adding 1/2 c. broth at a time and stirring often till each addition is absorbed before adding the
next, until rice is al dente. About 1 c. broth will remain.
5. Fold in most of reserved carrots, marscapone, and 1/4 C. Parmesan. parsley and thyme. Add up to 1 C broth (1/4 c at a time) to loosen the risotto.
6 Sprinkle each bowl with carrots, parmesan and parsley (ICK! PARSLEY! ICKYPOO!) Serve immediately and enjoy....preferably, not with dry, flavorless pork.
As I said before this week was also another Farmer's Market experiment. I'd never tasted rhubarb. It looks like red celery.... and I loathe celery. Not quite as much as parsley, but close. Still, my dad waxing about strawberry rhubarb pie made me consider it. I made a cake. And was THRILLED with the result. Tart and tasty. I wish I had known before the end of the season. I would have bought a bunch and frozen it! This turned out a lot like shortcake, and would be fantastic with some fresh whipped cream.
Cooking Light's Fresh Rhubarb Cake
4 C. Fresh, sliced Rhubarb
1 1/3 C Sugar (I used 1/3 c sugar and 1/3 c splenda in each part of the recipe)
1/3 C. Butter, soft (I used Smart Balance Omega Spread)
1 large egg
2 tsp. grated orange rind (Didn't have an orange, so I used 1/4 tsp. orange extract)
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/8 tsp. Salt.
3/4 C. Low-fat buttermilk (again, didn't have it, so I used low-fat sour cream- and the cake was moist and yummmmay)
1. Combine rhubarb and 2/3 C. sugar and spoon into a greased 8' x 8' pan.
2. Beat 2/3 C. sugar and butter w/ paddle attachment for about 5 minutes. Add egg, and beat, then add orange and vanilla.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour.
5. Spread over Rhubarb mixture.
6. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.
This makes 9 servings, which doesn't sound like much, but it's pretty rich.
out quite the life up there, and I hope that maybe someday soon, we'll be closer so that I can see her and visit this amazing place more often.
1. Heat 1 Tbsp each of butter and oil (I used 1 tsp. of each, and added a splash of stock) over medium heat in a large sautee pan. (Deep!). Add carrots and stir with a wooden spoon until well coated. Add 1/2 cup water, salt and sugar. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until water evaporated and carrots are just starting to brown. Reserve half the carrots for garnish. In a blender (I used a mini food processor), puree other half with 3/4 c. hot water.
next, until rice is al dente. About 1 c. broth will remain.
4 C. Fresh, sliced Rhubarb
At last weekend's Farmer's Market, I saw that one of the booths was offering zucchini flowers. I had seen them used on TV, and thought, "Why not?"
Caught on our girls day out at the Farmer's Market. We miss daddy, who is on a business trip right now.
