Ve(getari)an Lemon-Basil Orzotto

After seeing this recipe pop up on my blog roll yesterday, I just knew I had to make it... with a few little tweaks.

I'm definitely no stranger to making risotto the traditional way and here's what I've learned: It's not so much about the ingredients as it is about the technique. Once you understand that, you can have fun playing around with the ingredients and change things up from the standard arborio rice (which, truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of rice if another option is available) that the Italian's use. Essentially, you start by toasting your grain of choice in a little bit of olive oil or butter, add in a splash of white wine (or not), stir it until the liquid has absorbed, and then add your liquid of choice in small doses, stirring occasionally while the liquid absorbs and starches are released from your grain of choice thereby creating a rich, creamy dish without a drop of cream. I've used this technique with the standard rice, but also with orzo, barley, and spelt, each time with the same rich results.

Ve(getari)an Lemon-Basil Orzotto

that brand of veg stock gives a deep color to the dish

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup orzo (that's the little pasta that looks like rice)
1 shallot, diced
3 Tbs. lemon juice (that's about how much I got from 1 lemon)
2 cups of vegetable stock (you might need more or less depending on how long you let the orzotto cook)
asparagus, sliced on the bias (I used 6 spears, but you can use more or less depending on your taste)
peas (you guessed it- straight from the freezer!)
3 Tbs. parmesan, grated *omit for vegan
1 Tbs. lemon zest (from the lemon I juiced)
2 Tbs. fresh basil, shredded
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat, toast the orzo in the olive oil until it starts to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the shallot and lemon juice, stirring until absorbed, another minute or so. Now, here's where you need a little patience: Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock at a time, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed before making the next addition. Each addition will take a little bit longer to absorb (orzo cooks MUCH quicker than arborio rice does- about half the time), but you need to resist the urge to add the liquid too soon. With the 4th addition, toss in the asparagus and peas, as well as the parmesan if you're using it. Continue to stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed, then remove from the heat and add in the lemon zest and basil. By the time it makes it to the plate, your orzotto will have this amazing creaminess... and you didn't have to add a single drop of cream.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Beef & Barley Stew

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love this time of year! When the weather turns cool, all I want to do is make soup because, hello?!, who wouldn't?! As much as I enjoy standing over a simmering pot of something on the stove top, nothing beats the convenience of using a slow cooker... that's if you've got the patience to actually WAIT for the final product some 6 to 8 hours later. Beef stew is really one of those soups that is best when done in the slow cooker, mainly because the cut of meat traditionally used in beef stew is a cheap cut which translates to a very tough cut of meat that benefits from slow cooking at low heat. I suppose if you want to make a quick version of beef stew, you can always use a more tender cut of meat... but why bother? It just won't taste the same. 

Vegetable Beef & Barley Stew

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with their juice
1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into slightly larger than bite-size pieces
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. red new potatoes, diced
3/4 cup barley
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup of peas

Directions:
Okay, so I know it's an incredibly looooong list of ingredients, but it really is easy to put this stew together and here's the breakdown:

Step 1: Get your slow cooker out from wherever you keep it hidden.
Step 2: Dump the onions, carrots, celery, and parsnips in the bottom of the slow cooker then cover them with the tomatoes.
Step 3: In a large bowl, toss the beef together with the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until well coated.
Step 4: In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, quickly brown the beef on all sides.
Step 5: Dump the beef into the slow cooker then add in all the rest of the ingredients (except the peas), making sure that there's enough liquid to mostly cover the ingredients.
Step 6: Put the lid on the slow cooker, plug it in, set in on LOW for 6-8 hours, then walk away. Works well overnight.
Step 7: Unplug the slow cooker, stir in the peas, and dish up a big ol' bowl of beefy goodness.

Enjoy!

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb and vegetables in gravy, topped with mashed potatoes. (Shepherds herd sheep... makes sense, right?) What I grew up eating was made with ground beef instead of lamb, which is actually called Cottage Pie, even though it is still commonly referred to as Shepherd's Pie and I daresay that's what most people think of when Shepherd's Pie is mentioned. When I started making the dish for myself, it was always with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and the mashed potatoes frequently had parsnips, turnips, or cauliflower mixed in. Delicious, yes. But in the last few years, I've discovered just how easy it is to translate this dish into a vegetarian one, both as a single size casserole like today's recipe, or a larger casserole to feed a crowd as I've brought to work several times to share with the techs. Either way, it measures up to the traditional recipe, and it's incredibly easy to throw together since it's made with ingredients I always have in my pantry and fridge/freezer.

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced (I was out of shallots which would've been my go-to, so I used frozen instead)

eggplant, diced (I had some leftover in the freezer)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 sun dried tomatoes, diced (I like the sweetness these add)

1 small zucchini, diced (fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch of dill

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. AP flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 ounces of tofu, previously baked (I had some leftover in the fridge, otherwise I probably would've left this out)

1/4 cup sweet corn (I always have this in the freezer)

1/4 cup peas (again, always in the freezer)

dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces butternut squash, diced (I had a bag in the freezer which made it super easy)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion, eggplant, carrot, tomatoes, zucchini, and all spices (except nutmeg) in olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until slightly softened. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to coat the vegetables, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes before adding the vegetable stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a bubble, stirring for 3-5 minutes until "gravy" has thickened. Add in the tofu, corn, peas, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then turn off the heat and allow everything to come together.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the butternut squash in a small amount of water (omit water if using frozen like I did) until heated through and soft enough to mash, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash with a fork, and stir in the nutmeg.

Pour the veggie mixture into an individual size casserole dish and top with the mashed butternut squash. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before diving in.

Enjoy!