Risotto ai Funghi {Mushroom Risotto}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Sides | 10 comments

As I mentioned in my basic Risotto recipe, there are tons of different items you can incorporate into your Risotto. Once you have the basic technique down, it’s easy peasy to add to it. Plus, by adding another ingredient it adds another layer of depth to the already deliciously complex Risotto.

Funghi (Mushrooms) are a perfect addition. This recipe can easily be doubled. If you happen to have any left over, which at my house is extremely rare, simply add a dab of chicken stock when reheating & it’s good as new! I like to garnish mine with a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano (I know shocking, right? LOL). Doesn’t Parmigiano Reggiano make everything better?

I hope you’ll give this a try & experiment with different add in’s as well! I plan on doing a Seafood Risotto soon!

What you’ll need:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion – minced
1 cup of Arborio rice
4-6 cups chicken broth
salt
1 cup of fresh mushrooms – chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

What to do:
1. Pour olive oil into a large sauce pan and place over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add rice, stir continually until rice changes color ever so slightly and is coated well with oil. Stir constantly so you do not let your onions or rice burn.

2. Reduce heat to low and carefully add in about 1/2 cup of chicken broth and stir continually. Season with salt. Once chicken broth has reduced add another ladel of broth. Continue this process until your risotto is al dente {approx 30 minutes} 

3. At about 20 minutes into the cooking, add your mushrooms. Once your rice is creamy and al dente, remove from heat, check for seasoning {add salt if necessasry} stir in butter and serve.

Garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

Buon Appetito!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Mushrooms

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Gluten Free, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 17 comments

Okay, I must admit until recently I was NOT a fan of the Brussel Sprout. At the very mention of the word, I conjured up memories of small, soggy, green vegetable balls from my childhood that I was told to eat because they were “good for me”. They were tasteless & lifeless & I wanted nothing to do with them. Until now that is! 

Rosa’s Pork Chops

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pork | 12 comments

This recipe is a one that my Mom was taught in an Italian cooking class while we were living in Friuli, and now she has passed it on to me. I’m guessing Rosa was the chef. So Rosa, where ever you are, Grazie’ Mille!

In typical Paula fashion I have modified the recipe slightly. I know, I just can’t help myself. But I believe that Rosa would approve.

This dish has a plethora of flavors. Plus anytime I can use rosemary in a dish – I’m there! (My Rosemary bush is practically the size of my car & in case you’re wondering I drive a Suburban.) I like to use what I have handy & I definitely have Rosemary handy! LOL

Crostini with Artichoke Spread

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Appetizer | 21 comments

This is a perfect appetizer dish! It’s quick, easy to make & is a crowd pleaser. My friend Lainie introduced me to this artichoke dip years ago & it has been a favorite of mine ever since. So a big thank you to Lainie!

I’ve switched up the original recipe just a tad by adding roasted garlic instead of minced garlic & some lemon juice for a little pizazz. You can easily use minced garlic if you don’t have any roasted on hand! In my garlic loving opinion, you CAN’T have enough garlic in this recipe so add to your hearts content. You can also control the level of heat by adding as much or as little hot sauce as you like, or should I say dare! Taste as you go. Remember, as always, much easier to add than to try & take away. You can make this ahead of time and then just reheat before you’re ready to serve. Also would be great served in a bread bowl! It’s a great go to appetizer!

Apron Giveaway

Posted by Paula in All Recipes | 32 comments

It’s FREEBIE FRIDAY !

The last giveaway with Harwood Homemade was so successful that I’ve decided to have a monthly giveaway! This month I’ll be giving away a bell’alimento Apron! So while you’re making up all of our yummy recipes you can look just as stylish!

Here’s how to enter:

There are LOTS of ways to enter. The more you do, the more entries you receive! So increase your chances and do them all!

1 entry * leave a comment here
1 entry * follow on Twitter
1 entry * RT (that’s retweet for you twitter newbies) on Twitter
1 entry * grab my blinkie and post to your site
1 entry * become a fan on facebook
1 entry * subscribe to our RSS feed (or by email)

In order to receive credit, please leave a comment linking to any blinkies, posts, RTs, etc. You only will receive entries to the contest if you leave those comments – so don’t forget.
*Open to US residents only

One winner will be drawn randomly, Friday, March 20th!
Good luck! & get to cookin!

Tiramisu

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Desserts | 26 comments

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE dessert & it is no surprise that it just happens to be Italian! Tiramisu literally translates into “pick me up” and it is certainly that. It’s amazingly light & fluffy in your mouth but packs a powerful taste punch. You taste the espresso, a slight hint of Amaretto, the sweet taste of the Mascarpone (& there’s no substituting regular cream cheese here, you HAVE to use the real ITALIAN Mascarpone) and then the ladyfingers.

I use Vicenzovo Ladyfingers by Vicenzi. Here in Raleigh I find them at my favorite specialty grocery The Tipsy Gourmet. If you have a local specialty store check with them. They are NOT the soft “ladyfingers” you might have seen before. The Italian ladyfingers are hard to the touch and have a slight dusting of sugar on top. DELIZIOSI!

Pasta alla Puttanesca

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 17 comments

The background of this dish is spicy to say the least. I’m going to give you G-rated version. (Feel free to Google it if you’d like to know more!) The dish originated in Naples, Italy and was named after the local harlots. It was a hearty, quick & easy meal for them to prepare between “meetings”.

The ingredients tended to be very easy to find, and are typically Mediterranean. You’ll find that like most Italian dishes, recipes may differ according to region & preferences. The sauce is slightly salty due to the anchovies & olives & spicy from hot red peppers. So, no additional salt is needed.

It’s basically a toss in what you have kinda sauce. It’s quick & easy and it full of complex flavors. You can serve it with any type of pasta that you have on hand. If you prefer to use an anchovy paste vs. the actual anchovy fillets, feel free.

Roasted Garlic

Posted by Paula in All Recipes | 15 comments

This is a must for garlic lovers & you all know how much I LOVE garlic. LOL. It takes the taste of garlic to a whole new level. If I could bottle the smell from this I would. Your house will smell incredibly delicious while this is cooking.

To remove garlic cloves from skin, allow the garlic to cool completely. Use a small fork or your fingers, garlic will be soft to touch & will remove easily.

There are a million different ways to eat roasted garlic. It’s perfect to cook with. Just mash with a fork and use it where you would normally use minced garlic. Simply mix it with room temperature butter for a buttery, garlicy spread. Have fun & experiment. I roast several of these at a time and place the unused portion in a container in the fridge to keep it fresh!

Roasted Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Bulbs (as many as you would like to roast)

Preheat oven to 400. Remove first few layers of garlic skin (careful not to remove the ones covering the actual cloves). Cut about 1/4″ off of top of each garlic bulb. In a shallow baking pan pour enough extra virgin olive oil to cover bottom. Lay garlic bulbs on top of oil cut side down. Let these sit for a few minutes to absorb the oil. Turn garlic bulbs over, rubbing the sides with the oil & then set so cut side is facing up. Cover your baking dish with tinfoil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until garlic is brownish & soft to the touch.

Buon Appetito!

Spinach & Ricotta Tortellini con Crema

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Pasta | 13 comments

I LOVE pasta. I will always LOVE pasta; so thank goodness there are so many different types of pastas to satisfy my pasta addiction. Thank goodness that I have 3 bambinos to run around after to work it off! LOL.

Tortellini is such a fun pasta. It is its own small, sweet, delicious little package – just waiting for you to open it and discover what’s inside. You can stuff it with a myriad of fillings & the toppings are just as varied. For this recipe I chose a very traditional spinach & ricotta with cream sauce.

I like to saute’ the spinach (with garlic of course) to flavor it. You HAVE to strain the spinach afterwards to remove all the liquid. You don’t want excess liquid. When making your cream sauce, taste as you go, the sour cream will make it very acidic so go lightly on that. Find your balance. If you want your sauce thicker just add more parmigiano reggiano (remember quality ingredients make quality food. So splurge on the real deal). These freeze beautifully as well. Just flash freeze them on a baking sheet first & then put them into a freezer bag for the next time you’ve got a pasta craving. Using the wonton wrappers is a quick & convenient alternative if you don’t have time to make your own dough & yes, you can rest easy there will be many more variations of this recipe to come!

Asian Turkey Burger w/Wasabi Mayo

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Poultry | 22 comments

If I could make a scratch & sniff photo to place on my blog I would do it for these burgers. The smell is a circus for the senses. This is my first foray using ground turkey. Normally I’m usually only a turkey eater on Thanksgiving (naturally) & for the occasional turkey sammie (with guacamole – yum).

I’m happy to report that I am now a fan of ground turkey. I also am on a bit of a ginger kick these days. It seemed like the perfect companion for the turkey – with garlic, of course. If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time you know that I really can’t do anything without throwing some garlic in (goes against my nature not to). Turkey needs a lot of seasoning to taste good. These are powerful flavors & do the trick. The soy sauce makes these burgers very juicy. I finished off the burger with a wasabi mayo! Which you can tailor to your level of heat. If you don’t like wasabi I have used horseradish sauce & it’s delish as well. Remember to be careful when mixing your meat mixture. Don’t over mix or it will be tough. Mix just enough to blend all of the ingredients together.