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May 20 2011

Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese

Posted by EatLiveRun in Step-by-Step Recipes

Hi, my names Jenna and I love beets. Like, I really love beets. When I was little, I remember going to visit my grandma and she would boil beets for me then sprinkle them with sugar for an afternoon treat. I must have been one of the only six-year-olds that actually asked for beets. Then, I grew up and discovered beet and goat cheese salads. Beets and soft, creamy goat cheese? A match made in heaven. That’s why, when I saw Tasty Kitchen member Amanda’s recipe for Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese (adapted from Bon Appetit), I knew I had to make it as soon as humanely possible.

The end result was absolutely fantastic! Imagine super creamy, jewel-colored risotto studded with beets and big chunks of melting goat cheese. I think the day I made it, I ate a bowl for lunch and dinner. I just couldn’t get enough—and neither will you!

Amanda doesn’t specify if you can use canned beets for this (I’m sure you can), but since beets are in season right now anyway, I grabbed two bushy ones from the produce section of my local grocery store.

So, first things first: dice your beets. I didn’t peel these—I just scrubbed them under cold water.

Look ma! Red hands!

Next, melt four tablespoons of butter in a heavy-bottomed pot.

Then, add your diced beets and onion.

Sauté for about eight minutes, until both beets and onions are tender.

Add your arborio rice (risotto rice!). You can find arborio rice in the rice section of your local store. It’s super yummy and creamy!

Pour in three cups of chicken stock. In most traditional risotto recipes, you’ll gradually add the hot stock over a period of about 45 minutes, but in this recipe you just add it all at once … and it works! How awesome and easy is that?

Finally, drizzle in a little balsamic vinegar.

Bring risotto to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. You’ll want to stir this occasionally. The risotto is done when the rice has soaked up all the stock.

Season with salt and pepper and add the goat cheese—the best part!

Just look at those huge melting chunks of cheese. Are you drooling yet?

This would be the perfect side dish to a roast chicken (I especially love TK member Nicole’s Best Roast Chicken. Period.). It’s creamy, hearty and delicious! A big thank you to Amanda for providing such an easy recipe. Visit her blog Once Upon a Recipe for more of her creations!

Printable Recipe

Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese

by Amanda (onceuponarecipe) on April 17, 2011 in Rice, Sides

See post on Amanda (onceuponarecipe)’s site!

4.87 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s) 8 votes, average: 4.87 out of 5

Description

Creamy beet risotto topped with goat cheese makes for a delicious and gourmet accompaniment to a meal!

Ingredients

¼ cups Butter
2 whole Beets, Chopped Small
1 whole Onion, Chopped Small
1 cup Arborio Rice
3 cups Stock (Chicken Or Vegetable)
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Salt And Pepper, to taste
½ cups Goat Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the beets and onion, and cook for 8 minutes (stir to allow the onion to caramelize). Mix in the rice, broth, and balsamic vinegar. Increase the heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the rice is tender and the risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally (about 15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the goat cheese. If you are not a goat cheese fan, you could substitute feta cheese, but trust me, the goat cheese really enhances the flavor of the beets. Enjoy!

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Jenna is a food writer who has worked as a pastry chef and bread baker. Her blog Eat, Live, Run has great recipes, travel stories, and the perfect slogan: “Celebrating life, one crumb at a time.”

May 18 2011

Oatmeal Butter Tart Squares

Posted by cookincanuck in Baking, Step-by-Step Recipes

There are some recipes, tastes and aromas that evoke strong memories. Memories of childhood dinners with extended family, memories of special occasions. Each Christmas, my grandmother made a batch of her butter tarts to serve alongside the flambéed plum pudding at the end of the meal. The crust was flaky and the filling was sweet, tender and buttery.

Considering my irrational fear of pastry, I always shied away from making the tarts myself. My inability to turn out a decent pie is one of the reasons I am sure that Ree would bar my entrance to her ranch. That, and the fact that I probably wouldn’t be able to stop myself from hugging Charlie her lovable basset hound every few minutes, would likely get me cattle-prodded off the property in no time.

When I saw these Oatmeal Butter Tart Squares by Lindsey (gingerbreadbagels on Tasty Kitchen), complete with a caramelized filling, with raisins, oatmeal and coconut, and a simple sugar cookie crust, I knew I had to try them. At first bite, memories of my grandmother flooded back and I knew that these would become a regular treat in our house.

First, let’s prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and get the ingredients ready.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add milk and vanilla extract and mix to combine.

With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add in the flour and mix until almost combined.

Use a spatula to mix until the sugar cookie dough comes together.

Evenly press the cookie dough into a lightly greased 8- by 8-inch pan. I used a foil liner, which was not in Lindsey’s recipe. Ignore me, and follow Lindsey’s instructions. The filling stuck to the foil and made a bit of a mess.

Bake until the edges start to turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Now let’s make the the filling. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.

Place the raisins in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 20 minutes. Drain raisins and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), beat brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until combined.

In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works fine too), mix together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.

Add oats, baking powder and kosher salt, and mix to combine.

Fold in sweetened flaked coconut, raisins and chopped pecans.

Pour the filling over the cooled sugar cookie crust.

Bake until filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the squares cool completely before cutting. The squares will firm up once they are completely cooled. If you try to cut them while still warm, the filling may ooze out.

Once cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Thank you, Lindsey, for a dessert that is not only irresistible, but brought back so many fond memories for me. Be sure to check out Lindsey’s blog Gingerbread Bagels for many other wonderful recipes.

Here is the link to the printable recipe: Oatmeal Butter Tart Squares

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Dara Michalski is a doll and a sweetheart who clearly knows her way around the kitchen. She blogs at Cookin’ Canuck, where she shares her flavor-packed recipes and fun, engaging writing. The photography’s pretty incredible, too.

May 11 2011

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas

Posted by georgiapellegrini in Step-by-Step Recipes

I just love chickpeas. Or is it garbanzo beans? Well, I love them either way. Sometimes, when I’m in a rush, I just empty a can of them into a bowl, add some of my favorite dressing and any herbs I can find and it’s a meal. They are so versatile. I’ve noticed that people are finding yet another great way to make them at home by turning them into a crispy snack. This spicy Moroccan style by Nika really caught my eye. Spicy, crispy, Moroccan chickpea-garbanzo beans? I’m sold.

You begin by combining all of these wonderful and aromatic spices into a bowl. The fresh ginger is particularly wonderful in the way it smells. Close your eyes for a moment, inhale, and imagine yourself in the spice stalls of Morocco …

Okay, open your eyes. In a separate bowl you’ll need a can of chickpeas.

You’ll also need a bit of olive oil to help you coat the mixture onto the beans thoroughly.

Give your spices a mix.

It looks a bit like a work of art, all of that color.

Pour the olive oil into the chickpeas and toss with a spoon.

Add the spice mixture and stir it well.

As you mix, the ingredients will go from dry to a spicy syrup and begin to coat the chickpeas evenly.

When they look well-coated, pour them all into a baking dish.

Spread them evenly with a spoon, and pop them into the oven.

When they are ready, they will be golden brown with a vaguely soft inside, which should dry out and become crisp as they cool. If that doesn’t happen, you can pop them back in for a bit longer. I found that mine needed about 45 minutes total rather than 30. I also would suggest cutting the salt amount in half. You can always add more later, when they’re done.

They’re quite a delicious snack to have sitting at your fingertips. You could also try other favorite beans. I had toasted black-eyed peas not long ago and they were great as well.

Give these a try! And thanks to Nika (who blogs at I’m Not Quite Sure What You Are Saying) for contributing them to Tasty Kitchen.

Here are some other wonderful roasted chickpea recipes from TK members:

Roasted Curry Chickpeas by With Style and Grace
Roasted Chickpeas by The Healthy Housewife
Roasted Garbanzo Beans by The Culinary Chronicles
Roasted Garbanzos by MissAmy

Printable Recipe