What I Made – Week 27

I’d posted this recipe for risotto with leeks and turnips many years ago, but these days I prefer to make risotto in the Instant Pot! I cook the leeks in butter or oil using the Sauté setting, then I dump in the turnips, rice, and broth and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. After a quick release, I turn it back to Sauté and stir in the cheese and cook for a few minutes to let it thicken up. No aching arm from all the stirring and you have risotto in about 30 minutes!

This white bean soup with Swiss chard and carrots is so nice on a cold night and is another easy Instant Pot meal! I added the thinly sliced chard stems with the onions at the beginning.

A basic chef salad is always good for a quick meal. I cooked the quinoa and eggs ahead of time to make this extra easy on a busy night.

I’ve made beets and mozzarella with poppyseed citrus dressing for a while now. It’s based on this recipe, but I don’t grill the beets, I just roast them in the oven and I substitute the easier to find mozzarella for burrata.

I went all in on the Instant Pot meals this week. Jarred curry paste gives a lot of flavor (and spice!) to this Thai red curry with bok choy and broccoli. I actually cooked the bok choy and broccoli in a wok to give them a nice char, then stirred them in at the very end.

With all these soups, can you tell it’s cold here now? I didn’t have half and half, but I did a cup of cream and a cup of skim milk and this clam chowder turned out great!

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What I Made: Risotto with Leeks and Turnips

These vegetables have given me a chance to try lots of new things, but for this recipe I stepped way outside of my comfort zone and tried making risotto for the first time. It wasn’t my finest effort, but even imperfect risotto is still tasty, creamy rice and cheese. This one includes scarlet turnips, which gives the whole dish a pink tint, contrasting with the heaping addition of sautéed green leeks.

As the days got cooler, I really looked forward to these leftovers in my fridge.  I also greatly improved my risotto technique – it pays in off recipes to be posted later! However, in the meantime, here’s the first attempt.

Leeks, turnips, and garlic are sautéed in olive oil until tender.  Then, the rice is briefly toasted with the mixture. Next comes hard work and patience: broth is added 1/2 cup at a time and the mixture is stirred constantly. This will take about 45 minutes and if you’re as out of shape as I am, your shoulder and arm will be ACHING. Once the rice is cooked through and a creamy texture, stir in the cheese and serve! More detailed instructions are after the jump.

TurnipLeekRisotto

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What I Got: Week 17

Happy Halloween!  The only thing scary about this basket is the amount of lettuce I need to eat! I have been enjoying a daily fall salad of lettuce with chopped apple and goat cheese, sometimes with toasted walnuts for a boost of protein.
Week17

 Red Romaine Lettuce, Baby Red Bok Choy, Young Red Russian Kale

Jonagold Apples, Banana Peppers, Red Beets, Red Radishes, Scarlet Turnips, Mixed Yummy Peppers

Asian Pears, Kiwiberries

The Red Russian Kale looks a lot like arugula or dandelion greens but on closer inspection, feels tougher and more substantial.