Bacon and Egg Farro Risotto

This recipe is kind of an oxymoron. You make risotto a little healthier by using farro and then completely defile it by adding bacon. I was inspired to try making a risotto without the traditional arborio rice after my trip to Mo-Chica. I had some farro sitting around my pantry for a while so this was a great way to use it up. This very creamy risotto gets a salty and smoky punch from bacon with the lusciousness of the fried egg. Peppery arugula keeps the dish from feeling overwhelming. The leftovers help up surprisingly well for a couple of days and the dish is good with either a poached or fried egg. I prefer the texture of a fried egg. I am definitely an "alternative" risotto convert now!


One year ago: Bacon Lettuce Peach Sandwich
Two years ago: Chicks with Knives Hatchi Dinner at Breadbar
Three years ago: Vaca Frita and Croquetas de Jamon
Four years ago: Slow Food Nation


Bacon and Egg Farro Risotto
(Adapted from Oui, Chef)

Makes 2-4 servings

4 slices bacon, cut into lardons
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cup farro, soaked for 8 hours and then drained
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups arugula leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 poached or fried eggs

Cook the bacon in a large skillet heated over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on towels. Add the onion to the pan and cook in the bacon fat until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a sauce pot until it is simmering.

Add the farro and white wine to the skillet with the onion, stir to combine. Add the heated chicken stock to the pan a half cup at a time until the stock is mostly absorbed between additions. Stir often until the farro is tender and suspended in a thick, creamy liquid. Add the Parmesan and butter to the pan and stir well to combine. Stir in the arugula and remove the pan from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the risotto warm topped with a fried or poached egg.

Printable Recipe

Red Wine Risotto with Peas

It is very rare that I get a weekend completely to myself without having any chores or work things to worry about. This past weekend was one of those rare amazing times when I had two whole days to do whatever I wanted. I kicked off the weekend by cleaning out my very old recipe binder, followed by a beach picnic with a few of my favorite blogging pals, and rounded it out with a little Sunday afternoon fun with some of my best boys. The sun was shining, the weather was perfect and I could not have asked for a better time. While I was cleaning out my recipe folder, I found this particular risotto recipe that I had printed out nearly three years ago. At the time I remembered thinking how unusual it was to put red wine in risotto when you normally use white. The wine not only gives the risotto that beautiful color, but adds a nice deep flavor without additional ingredients that would make it feel heavy. Perhaps a little unconventional, I paired this risotto with shrimp because I love shrimp and risotto together. The green peas add a nice pop of color and their lovely sweetness which rounds out this dish. Now that I have been through my old recipe binder again, I have pulled out a bunch of recipes and can't wait to share some of them soon!



You wish you could live here:






Red Wine Risotto with Peas
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)



Makes 2 servings

2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1-2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the stock to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, and keep the stock warm over very low heat.

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent,but not browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1-2 minutes. Add one ladle full of the hot chicken stock to the rice; simmer until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Repeat, one ladle full at a time until the rice is tender and creamy.

Stir in the peas, Parmesan and parsley. Season to taste. Spoon the risotto into bowls and serve.

Printable Recipe

Saffron Risotto with Grilled Shrimp

As you may have been able to tell from my lack of posts lately, I have not been spending enough quality time in the kitchen. I hope to remedy that soon, but for the next week or two, posts may be scarce. However, having a long weekend has been wonderful and allowed me to spend a bit of time in the place I truly belong. Part of the problem has been that the income of this particular Hollywood assistant is slim to none, but yet surprisingly I found myself with all of the ingredients to make this recipe. It is super simple and the only thing it really requires is a bit of time for watching the risotto. The best part is that this reminds me of one of my favorite dishes I had while vacationing in Greece. On our last day at Panormos beach in Mykonos, a couple of us feasted on an amazing saffron risotto with seafood so I was super excited to be able to recreate this at home. If I close my eyes, I can just picture us at the amazing beach being conned out of all our Euros to buy some souvenirs for our friends ;) Seriously though, it was an amazing time and I hope to go back some day.




Saffron Risotto with Grilled Shrimp
(Lightly adapted from Forking Delicious)

For the Risotto:
5 cups chicken stock (I used 4 cups of stock and 1 cup of water)
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 pinches saffron threads
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Kosher salt

For the shrimp:
Large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on if desired
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Preheat a grill or indoor grill pan to high.

Toss the shrimp with the oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Heat chicken stock over medium-high heat until just simmering. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sweat until translucent, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and saffron, turning to coat in the oil and sauté until the edges of the rice begin to look slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pan is almost dry. Add one ladle-full of hot stock, stirring constantly until liquid is almost absorbed. Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, stirring each addition until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 25 to 30 minutes total.

When the risotto is nearly done, toss the shrimp on the grill and sear until pink, opaque and curled in on themselves, about 2 minutes per side. Spritz the shrimp with more lemon juice when it comes off the grill. When the risotto is done, stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle risotto into onto a plate or bowl and top with the shrimp and then the parsley.

BB Bonus Recipe: Chive Risotto Cakes

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen won the prize for referring the most people to Barefoot Bloggers last month. That means Deb got to choose the bonus recipe for November. Isn't she lucky? Deb chose Chive Risotto Cakes from the new book Back to Basics. Deb must have been reading my mind. I have a ton of Arborio left over from when we made Butternut Squash Risotto and while I definitely want to try another risotto, this was a really fun way of using some of the rice. This recipe is easily halved and I used non-fat Greek yogurt, not really in an attempt to lighten it up, but more because it's what I had on hand. This past weekend, Raul and I made our weekly trip to the farmers market. We chatted with the salad guys a little longer than normal which could be why I got my chives for FREE! Love those guys! A note about this recipe. Make sure you cool the mixture for at least the recommended two hours. Impatient me was starving and I only gave it an hour to chill. They still turned out great, but it was a bitch to keep these together. The first few fell apart until I got the hang of it. I kept refrigerating the mixture between batches. That said, these little cakes are quite simply amazing. Does anyone know of any Ina recipes that don't work? This was an optional recipe so not all of the other Barefoot Bloggers made it, but to see if they did or not, click here.

Chive Risotto Cakes
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Makes about 12 cakes

Kosher salt
1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
3/4 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Panko
Extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and the Arborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, egg, chives, Fontina, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooked rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using an ice cream scoop or large spoon. Pat the balls into patties 3/4 inch thick. Place 4-6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cooking. turning once, for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary until all the cakes are fried. Serve hot.

Barefoot Bloggers: Butternut Squash Risotto

Hmmm, remember that whole thing about me being sick yesterday? I totally went against my own advice (and common sense) and went to go see NKOTB last night. I never got to see them when I was young so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see them for free! It was so amazing. Full of people my age remembering the boys in their glory days. I am deaf and mute today, but it was probably worth it. My ears are still ringing and I still have no voice, but maybe I can take a nap on the plane later today. Yeah, right. it's only an hour flight. Anyway, another day, another recipe I have never tried before. This week's Barefoot Bloggers was chosen by Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook. Risotto was definitely on my list of things to try, but I had just made all these things with butternut squash so I was a little disappointed about having to get another one so soon. Oh well, onward. I picked up a fairly small squash at the farmers market and found a (huge!) box of risotto at Trader Joes. The saffron there wasn't too expensive, but I still haven't found that sugar daddy yet, so I had to leave it out of the recipe. The cooking time was a little longer than the recommended 30 minutes. I think it took me closer to 40, but it was worth it. This was creamy and delicious, but I am sure it would have been even better with the saffron. This was the perfect meal for a late Sunday lunch with a glass of wine and Us Weekly...I mean, a good book. To check out the other Barefoot Bloggers' risottos, visit the blogroll. To find out how to sign up for the group, go here.



Butternut Squash Risotta
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

1 small butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce pancetta, diced
1/4 cup minced shallots
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.