Kathleen's Red Pepper Risotto

Man, it sure is lonely being the only person posting on the blog! Where you guys at? Well if you're "busy" don't make this! This recipe took me freaking forever to make. Last week's recipe took less than 10 minutes. This week's took me over an hour! And yes, it was my fault but still. I didn't make any changes to the recipe except that I used a whole medium onion (what the f was I going to do with half an onion sitting around?) and I didn't use the goat cheese. I don't care for goat cheese. And I did use the turmeric because my mom sent me back to FL with some after Dr. Oz told her of its health benefits.

Everything was going well with this recipe until it was time to do the broth bit. I've watched enough Food Network to know that you're kind of chained to the stove for the stirring part. So I turned on the radio, poured myself some wine, and got down to business. Well PW said that this part should last 25-30 minutes. So how come I was still stirring AN HOUR LATER??? And it wasn't a fun hour, let me tell you. There was a huge thunderstorm raging outside that kept messing with my radio signal. And after about 30 minutes, there was no more wine. And my wrist hurt. I started stirring at 3:10. At 4:10 I cranked up the heat to medium and it was done like 5 minutes later. Why I didn't think of that earlier, I have no idea. I think PW says to keep the heat medium low. Don't do it! Medium all the way unless you want carpal tunnel. Anyway, around minute 55 I thought to myself, "I don't care how good this tastes, I'm never, ever making this again!" Well...the risotto is good. Like really good. But I will probably stay true to my angry declaration. Unless I'm trying to impress someone.

Some advice: go easy on the salt. Remember that all the salt from the broth with concentrate down plus the cheese has salt. I think I used 1/4 teaspoon.

And sorry for the blurry picture. But it was raining so there wasn't enough light at my table. So I had to hold the plate next to the window. One shaky hand holding the camera plus one shaky hand holding the plate equals that blurry picture up there. Enjoy!

Kathleen's Steak Teriyaki

I made this today and it was very quick, very easy, and very yummy! The only thing I changed was I used ginger powder instead of fresh ginger. I cooked the steaks for 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side and it was perfect. I mixed the sauce up while the steaks were cooking and I was done cooking in less than 10 minutes, from start to finish (well except for the rice, but I started it earlier). I used my cast iron skillet so it retained the heat really well. When it was time for me to reduce the sauce, the skillet was still so hot that I didn't have to turn the heat back on and it reduced perfectly. Before I reduced the sauce, I took a taste and actually said aloud, "Mmmm, that is GOOD!" The only downfall is that my house got super smoky. But it was worth it. I'll definitely make this again! Good choice Judy!

Kathleen's Spinach and Feta Pasta

I made quite a few changes to this pasta because quite frankly, I was freaking tired. It's the end of the school year and as much as I love cooking, I don't want to do it anymore. I just want to finish the last few days of school, eat fast food, hire a maid to clean my house, and go to sleep for like five or six days.

This recipe sounded a lot like something I "invented" that consisted of a package of dry tortellini, grape tomatoes, spinach or basil, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So I combined Suki and my ideas to make this pasta.

For my version, I just boil the tortellini, chop the tomatoes in half, and toss everything together, no cooking. But to give Suki's recipe a chance, I added garlic and red pepper flakes a try. And I threw everything into a pan for a few minutes. And then added a splash of balsamic when it was done. If you guys are feeling as lazy and tired as me, here's my modifications. It was really fast and easy.

1 (8 oz) package penne pasta (I used a 12 ounce package of Barilla cheese and spinach tortellini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion (omitted, didn't have any on hand, too lazy to chop one up if I did)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chopped tomatoes (2 pints of grape tomatoes, they were buy one, get one free)

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (ugh, definitely omitted)

2 cups spinach leaves, packed (1 box frozen spinach, thawed)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch red pepper flakes

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (omitted since there was cheese in the tortellini)

splash of balsamic vinegar

Lisa's Spaghetti with Artichoke and Tomato

So I made this last night...and it was really good. After reading your posts, I decided to add chicken to the spaghetti and I was really happy with the way it turned out. I thought it would be creamier since it uses heavy cream, but I like that it was "light" tasting. Roger asked if it was "healthy" and I had to say no because of the heavy cream. So next time I make it, I will do what Kathleen does....dry milk. Even though PW said not to "undersalt", I did... I like to have the people eating it add their own salt to their own liking...So once Roger added more salt, he really liked it. I also didn't use nutmeg. I don't think nutmeg would've made a difference, right?

I'll make this recipe again...especially because it made enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch today!

June Recipes

Here are next month's recipes if anyone wants to get a head start on them. And this will be the last month of recipes before we break for the summer (woot woot for summer vacation!!!!!!).

Suki's Spinach and Feta Pasta - May 30-June 5

from allrecipes.com

1 (8 oz) package penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups spinach leaves, packed

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch red pepper flakes

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown. Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes more, until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted. Reduce heat to medium, stir in pasta and feta cheese, and cook until heated through.

Serves 4.

Chosen by Lisa.

Steak Teriyaki - June 6-12

from the Best Simple Recipe, page 108

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 strip steaks (10 to 12 ounces each), about 1 inch thick

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 scallions, sliced thin

Whisk soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and pepper flakes in bowl.

Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add steaks and cook until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Wipe out skillet and add soy sauce mixture. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Slice steak thin against grain and transfer to platter. Pour sauce over steak and sprinkle with scallions. Serve.

Serves 4.

Chosen by Judy.

Red Pepper Risotto - June 13-19

from The Pioneer Woman

8 cups chicken broth, low sodium

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 whole medium onion, diced

2 whole red bell peppers, diced

1 3/4 cups Arborio rice

3/4 cups dry white wine

salt to taste

5 ounces, fluid goat cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 teaspoons turmeric (optional)

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium pan. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium to medium-low heat. Add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add red peppers and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add uncooked rice and stir for a minute or two, allowing it to be coated with the other ingredients.

Pour in wine and cook for a minute or two.

Now, start adding broth a cup to a cup and a half at a time, stirring gently and allowing each addition to absorb into the rice. Repeat for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rice is al dente (you might not need to use all the broth).

At the end, stir in a little more liquid and turn off heat. Stir in turmeric if desired. Add cheese and stir. Serve immediately!

Serves 8.

Chosen by Jennifer.

Parmesan Chicken with Cherry Tomato Salad - June 20-26

from The Best Simple Recipes, page 80

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)

salt and pepper

7 tablespoons olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Spread flour in shallow dish. Beat eggs in second shallow dish. Combine panko and Parmesan in third shallow dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. One at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, dip in eggs, and coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook 2 cutlets until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with additional 3 tablespoons oil and remaining cutlets.

Toss cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, and remaining oil in bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer cutlets to individual plates and top with cherry tomato mixture. Serve.

Serves 4.

Chosen by Kathleen.