Classic Mushroom Risotto

Classic Mushroom Risotto

Well Worth All the Work 

 

After a LONG day of work I decided that I needed something warm and comforting and I decided that risotto would be just the thing. I had originally planned to make this meal for friends but plans fell through. I had previously found this recipe for Gourmet Mushroom Risotto from Allrecipes.com (my got to for new things to try) and decided that it would be a good first risotto to try. I knew that I wanted to make a classic risotto NOT one with cream. Below you will find my adapted recipe with step by step instructions.

Classic Mushroom Risotto 

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken broth, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (the type of rice is important make sure to buy Arborio)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used light grape juice so I did not have to open a bottle of wine)

And so we begin:

The hour long process started with boiling the chicken stalk which I made from Better Than Boullion which I love because it makes chicken stock not broth. 

After you get the broth started slice the mushrooms. Once all that slicing is complete, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. FUN FACT: One circle around the pan is a approx. a tablespoon so two turns will do it. 

Cook the mushrooms until they are soft, remove the mushrooms (and their liquid) from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the chopped shallots. Cook for 1 minute. Add the rice, stirring to coat with the olive oil. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in juice (wine), stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.

Add 1 ladle-full of broth to the rice, stir until completely absorbed. Continue to add broth one ladle-full at a time until the rice breaks down and leaves you with creamy delicious risotto. This part can take a very long time, I stirred my risotto for at least 45 minuted using all 6 cups of the chicken stock. You may not need all the stock, so keep testing your rice, when it is no longer crunchy you are DONE. 

 

Still crunchy!

Getting creamy

Once you have reached creamy perfection, add the mushrooms and their broth back into the pan. You now have delicious mushroom risotto. I served mine with beautiful pan seared scallops but it would be good with anything from chicken to steak.

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Cakey Pear Scones

 Cakey Pear Scones

Not Your Grandma's Scones

I should start off by telling you that these are not your traditional scones. They are not dry or crumbly but instead they are more like mini, airy cakes. Sure, they taste like a buttery delicious scone but they definitely do not have what you could call a traditional texture. This was my first time making this particular recipe so I wan unsure exactly how they would turn out. They may not be the prettiest scones ever but they sure are yummy. They would be great for a Sunday morning at home, when you are not trying to impress anyone with your ability to bake beautiful things. 

What you will need:  

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder (for airiness)  
• 5 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2-3/4 cup of pear

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 










 


First, skin and dice the pear into bite sizes pieces. You don't want them too big so that the overwhelm the scone or too small so that you lose the flavor. 












Next, you combine all the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl, make sure to stir them together so everything combines easily. 












As promised I am going to provide you will some tricks to obtaining the 'perfect' of whatever you bake. 

How to properly measure  flour:

Start by scooping a heaping cup of flour.

 

Then, tap it, lightly, with the back of a knife.

 Then smooth out the top of the flour with the back of your knife. This settles the flour so you get the proper amount without settling it so much that you pack the flour in.

 

After you have added all the dry ingredients, cut in the 5 tablespoons of butter using a knife or a pastry blender until your mixture resembles course crumbs.

 First combine the wet ingredients (milk and sour cream) before adding them to the dry ingredients. Also add the pear at this time. Stir until the mixture is just moistened. As you can see on the left, the batter will resemble cake batter.

Spoon the mix onto a prepared baking sheet (use parchment paper). 

Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

 Your finished product should look something like this.

I ate mine with my favorite preserve. 

 It is light, airy and delicious with just a hint of pear flavor.

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Hello World!

Follow me on my journey into the Foodie world! I am just a fledgling looking to spread my wings into the real world. I will be posting about a plethora of  topics, but mostly about my favorite thing, food! I love to bake, cook, and eat. I will be sharing my favorite recipes as well as the tips and tricks that have been passed down to me. There will of course be plenty of pictures. I hope you enjoy!
~Amy