Okay this title sounds complicated but really risotto is easy so I will start with the basic risotto I make on a cold January evening and then move you on to the fancy one. Mine is ready in 30 minutes or so. It is a great way to use up leftover meat or fish or just add veggies like sautéed sweet peppers, peas, carrots etc etc. You can’t go wrong and it makes a hearty meal.

First you need the right rice. Arborio is the classic rice used but try to find Carnaroli. You need a rice that will absorb a lot of water and give a nice creamy result.

So for basic risotto you need the following,

• 1 cup of your favourite risotto rice
• 4-5 cups of chicken stock. (I usually just mix up instant chicken stock with hot water)
• Some olive oil
• 1/3 cup of white wine
• 3-4 green onions or a small onion chopped
• ½ tsp garlic
• Parmesan cheese (grated)

I like my risotto a big spicy and add some kind of Texas spice or such but it is not necessary at all

Method

Set your timer for 23 minutes.

Take a medium sized saucepan, cover the bottom with olive oil and add the onions and garlic and any other spice or seasoning you might like. Saute the onions and add the rice over medium to low heat. Stir until the rice is coated in oil then add the wine and stir until its absorbed. Start your timer. Add chicken stock until the rice is just covered and start stirring. As the liquid is absorbed by the rice add more stock but not too much at a time and continue to stir.

The trick to risotto is that it needs to be attended to for the entire time it is cooking which is really only about 20 minutes. If you don’t stir it constantly it will burn and stick and not come out creamy and yummy. Keep the temperature between low and medium and stir, stir, stir. After you make a few times you will get the picture. After about 20 minutes it will be ready to add whatever you are using up that day. I have added leftover salmon, pork, steak, roast beef, and of course you can add mushrooms, sweet peppers, tomatoes, peas, corn, sugar peas, basically whatever you like. Finish with a ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese or to your taste. Serve in bowl and top with more Parmesan, freshly ground pepper etc.

So now you are ready to make the fancy Wild Leek version. One guest told me that this was the best risotto he had ever eaten.

Wild Leek Risotto with Seared Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients – Risotto

1 cup of sliced leeks (in the spring you can get wild leeks which are basically a wild onion with a milder flavour but are hard to find so I just use regular leeks. If you can find wild leeks you can use the leaves to add colour to the meal but lets just stick with leeks – the white bit)

• ½ cup of buttermilk
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• ¼ cup of chopped Italian parsley – the leafy sort
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 cup of sweet onion chopped (Vidalia onions)
• 1 1/3 cup of risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
• ½ – 1/3 cup of white wine

Ingredients – Garnish

• 1 tbsp of butter
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

Whirl the buttermilk, leeks and parsley in a food processor until puréed and set aside.

Heat the stock in preparation for making the risotto and then heat the olive oil and sauté the onions. Add the rice and stir until coated in oil. Add the wine and stir until absorbed then add stock a ladle at a time and stir until absorbed and continue for about 20 minutes. See above for directions on making risotto.

Meanwhile sauté the tomatoes in butter and balsamic for 3-5 minutes or until the skins on the tomatoes crack and the balsamic is syrupy.

When the rice is done, stir in the leek and buttermilk pure and Parmesan cheese. Serve and top with the tomatoes and balsamic. Yums.

This recipe is a quick and easy stir-fry with chicken breast. Easy and tasty and goes well with the Beef and Broccoli recipe to follow. If you make both the beef and broccoli it will be good to feed 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp sherry
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 lb chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 6 tbsp oil (olive oil works)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 green and 1 red sweet pepper or spicy pepper like a bananaor red chilli

Method:

Mix together the sherry, soy sauce, egg white and cornstarch. Add the chicken cubes and coat well. Leave to marinate for a few minutes. Meanwhile mix together the vinegar, salt, sugar and sesame seed oil in a small bowl.

Heat the vegetable (olive) oil in a pan. Add the garlic, chilli peppers and chicken. Stir fry until the chicken in golden brown, the add the green/red peppers and vinegar mixture. Stir-fry until the sauce starts bubbling and thickens. Serve hot.

This will serve 2-4 people and I normally make it with the Chicken and Peppers recipe when guests get your numbers up. Both are served on or with rice.

Ingredients:

1 lb sirloin steak (cut into bite size or 1-inch cubes)

1 lb broccoli

Salt

3 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves crushed

3-4 slices of ginger root (you can buy crushed ginger and garlic in a jar and while not as good as fresh it is acceptable)

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

Ingredients for the marinade

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dry sherry

2 tbsp corn starch

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Mix together the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the beef and let marinate while preparing the broccoli. Separate the broccoli into florets and thinly slice the stems. (I tend to use just the florets but it’s a personal thing.) Place in a pan of boiling water and cook for 1 minute, drain and rinse with cool water to keep it from over cooking.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté/stir fry for a few seconds. Add the beef and stir fry until the colour changes. Add the broccoli, sugar and oyster sauce. Stir fry for another minute or two and serve hot on rice.

This recipe is based on recipes from the old Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook which you can still buy from Amazon etc. The book first came out in 1967 as a centennial project but it is full of great recipes. At any rate for my Tourtiere I use the following savoury pastry recipe and it actually never fails. There is enough pastry in this recipe to make three 9” pies.

Klondike Never-fail Pastry

Mix together

5 ½ cups of all purpose flour or 6 ½ cups of pastry flour

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3 tablespoons  brown sugar

Blend the above with 1 pound of lard with a pastry blender until it is the consistency of coarse meal  –  I use lard like Tenderflake

Break one egg into a measuring cup and beat slightly then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and fill the measuring cup to the ¾ cup level with cold water and mix.

Add the liquid slowly to the dry ingredients and add just enough to make the dough cling together. I find I usually use the whole ¾ cup.

Chill the dough before using.

Filling

Okay this part I tend to fake and the following amounts will make you filling for 3 pies so alter accordingly.

3lb  ground chicken

1lb ground pork

1lb ground beef

2 medium onions

3 carrots

3 celery sticks

Garlic cloves (as many as you like 2-3 usually)

5-6 medium Yukon gold potatoes

 

Instructions

Boil the potatoes and mash with a hand masher

In a food processor mince the onions, carrots garlic and celery

Cook the meat in a large pot until done, add the mashed potatoes, the minced vegies and spices/herbs Mix and cook well.

The spices or herbs you want to add are kind of up to you. I tend to go gentle on spicy stuff since not everyone likes that so use things like Marjoram, Thyme, Sage and/or cloves and pepper and salt. The amounts depend on your taste.

Then just roll the pastry for the pie plates, fill with meat mixture, cover with pastry and use egg wash or milk and bake.

Baking instructions:

Set oven at 450F and bake pie/pies for 10 minutes, Reduce heat to 350F and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes until browned. You can freeze it or eat it right away.