Porcini Mushroom Risotto

This is my first risotto! It turned out amazingly well, and I'm so proud! I kept hearing how tedious and difficult it is to make risotto, and maybe it is for the fancy restaurant versions, but this one was surprisingly easy as long as you have enough time to be patient in preparing it. This recipe was in Cooking Light, and I didn't change much at all. Since I was serving this risotto as a main dish, I added about 1/4 cup more fresh chopped baby 'bella mushrooms to make it a little heartier. The mascarpone cheese was a nice topping, but the dish is creamy enough without it.

First of all, here are my vital tips for making risotto:

1) Find yourself a good stool on which to perch,

2) Find yourself a good magazine to keep you from complete boredom while stirring,

3) Make yourself a cocktail because you're going to be there awhile.

Your risotto preparation should look something like this:

RECIPE:

2 cups boiling water
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
Cooking spray
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
3/4 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used leftover Chardonnay)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) mascarpone cheese
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1. Combine 2 cups boiling water and mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain through a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid; chop mushrooms.

2. Bring soaking liquid and broth to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep broth mixture warm.

3. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add rice, shallots, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes).

4. Add 1 cup broth mixture to rice mixture; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of the broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Add mushrooms, grated cheese, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper; stir gently until cheese melts. Spoon 1 cup risotto into each of 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon mascarpone and thyme leaves, if desired. Makes 4 servings. (per serving: 369cals, 15g fat, 48g carbs, 12g protein)

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Delicious and almost as good as pulled pork, but hopefully healthier. One thing nice about cooking with chicken thighs is that they are usually on sale for really cheap. This recipe was adapted from a 30 minute “Dinner Tonight” recipe from Cooking Light. I decided to make it in the crock pot since I had the time and I wanted to make sure the chicken got extra tender and flavorful. I made it with about 3lbs of chicken and it lasted all week as excellent leftovers.

RECIPE:
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp molasses
½ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp chili powder, or to taste
Hot sauce to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb chicken thighs, fat trimmed
½ onion, sliced into rings
Hamburger buns
Dill pickle chips

Combine first 9 ingredients into a sauce. Layer onion rings on bottom of crock pot. Place chicken thighs on top of onion, then coat chicken with barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours. Take out chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Stir shredded chicken back into sauce until heated through. Serve pulled chicken on a toasted hamburger bun (or deli flat for low-carb) with dill pickle chips. (per serving: 294 cals, 7g fat, 36g carbs, 22g protein)

Fontina & Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Yet another delicious Cooking Light recipe! I slightly modified the cooking method from the skillet to the oven after trying it the first time for a girls' dinner and it took forever to cook. The oven was much easier since I didn't have to stand over the stove for an hour, and I think it tasted better too. I love the combination of crispy coating on the outside with the creamy filling inside. Yum!

RECIPE:
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into halves
2 oz prosciutto, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Canola oil
freshly ground black pepper
plain breadcrumbs
all-purpose flour

Prep stuffing: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add prosciutto to pan; sauté until browned and crispy. Add rosemary and garlic to pan, sauté a couple minutes. Place prosciutto mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mix in fontina cheese.

Take each chicken breast half and slice a small pocket in it that is big enough to stuff. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Heat oven to 350F.

Make an assembly line: Set up 3 shallow dishes or plates – 1. Flour, 2. Egg whites mixed with Dijon mustard, 3. Breadcrumbs. Spoon prosciutto mixture into each chicken pocket; press lightly to flatten. Dredge chicken half in flour, dip into egg, then cover fully with breadcrumbs. Place into baking dish coated in cooking spray. Bake for 25 mins or until chicken is no longer pink.