Black Truffle Risotto with Green Tea

Risotto
1/4 c White wine
1 c Arborio rice
1.5 c Chicken stock
1 tbs Butter
1/2 small onion diced
1/4 c Shredded parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Mushrooms
3/4 lb mixed mushrooms (portobello, crimini, shitake, etc.) 
1 clove garlic
1 tbs butter
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tbs truffle oil
1/4 c white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
Fresh Black Truffle, shaved
2 c Green tea


Heat the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat so that the stock just stays hot.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, melt 1tbs butter and 1 tablespoon truffle oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms over medium heat until softened and then add garlic and thyme. When garlic is fragrant, about 30-45 seconds, add white wine and cook until most of the wine is evaporated. Check seasoning and set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil and 1 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chopped shallot or onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until it is slightly translucent.


Add the rice to the pot and stir it briskly with a wooden spoon so that the grains are coated with the oil and melted butter. Sauté for another minute or so, until there is a slightly nutty aroma. But don't let the rice turn brown.


Add the wine and cook while stirring, until the liquid is fully absorbed. Add a ladle of hot chicken stock to the rice and stir until the liquid is fully absorbed. When the rice appears almost dry, add another ladle of stock and repeat the process. 

Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, for 20-30 minutes or until the grains are tender but still firm to the bite, without being crunchy. If you run out of stock and the risotto still isn't done, you can finish the cooking using hot water. Just add the water as you did with the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring while it's absorbed. Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter, the parmesan cheese and the parsley, and season to taste with Kosher salt.

Sausage, Potato, + Kale Soup

1/2 lb Italian sausage
2 medium Russett potatoes, diced
1 medium onion
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 bunch kale
4c Chicken stock

Saute sausage with chili flakes, fennel seeds and onion then strain out any excess fat. Add potatoes and chicken stock and cook on a low boil until potatoes are softened, about 10-15 minutes. Add kale last and cook for 5 more minutes.

Savory Mushroom Tart

At the farmer's market I found a little ball of sunshine. I brought it home and have been savoring + rationing it. The last little chunk garnished my lunch.

Crust
1 1/4c Flour
1/2c Butter
3 tbsp chilled water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried Rosemary, chopped
1 tsp dried Thyme. chopped

Filling
3/4 lb Mixed wild mushrooms (Crimini, Portobello, Shitake, etc)
1/4 c Dry white wine
1 tbs Olive oil
2 tsp Chopped garlic
2 tsp Fresh Thyme
1/2 small Onion, sliced and Caramelized
1c Coconut milk or Cream
3 Eggs
goat cheese and shaved white truffle to garnish

Combine flour herbs and salt in a bowl. Scatter chilled butter pieces over the flour mixture and cut in. When coarse crumbs form, drizzle in water until dough becomes an evenly moist mass; not a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill.
Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms + onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms over medium heat until softened and then add garlic and thyme. When garlic is fragrant, about 30-45 seconds, add white wine and cook until most of the wine is evaporated. Check seasoning and set aside.

Roll out dough and line it in a tart pan. Scatter mushroom and onions. Beat eggs and coconut milk and pour on top, filling the pan, but not overflowing. 

Bake @325 for 40-45 minutes, until eggs/milk are firm.
Garnish with goat cheese and shaved white truffle.

Pumpkin Muffins

Lately, a friend has been on a health kick. She's a huge fan of the Jillian Michael's cookbook and sent a recipe for Pumpkin muffins over saying they were good but her batch came out a little flat. As I've been trying to do some healthier baking, I've adjusted the recipe slightly and came out with these delicious morning treats. Separated my batch and made half with blueberries mixed in, which came out even better!

1 15oz can Pumpkin Puree
2 Large Eggs
1/2 c Maple Syrup
1/4 c Coconut Cream (or milk)
1/2 c Olive Oil (or Grapeseed Oil)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tbs Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
2.5 c Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 c Pumpkin Seeds 
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
1/4 Ground Nutmeg
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Freshly Grated Ginger (optional)
1/2 c Frozen Blueberries (optional)
1/4 c Pepitas (optional)
1 tbs sugar for dusting

Mix all wet ingredients stir in dry ingredients, flour last.

Place liners in muffin pan and scoop about 3/4 full.

Bake @325º for about 20 minutes

Apple Leige Waffles

In Amsterdam, around all the coffee shops are little bakery stands that sell belgian waffles. The yeast ones where the pearl  sugar melts and forms a thin caramelized crust on the outside of the waffle. Then they put chocolate on one side or with a little more powdered sugar and sell them all sorts of different ways. Needless to say I was a fat kid who ate them all.

1 pkg Active-dry yeast
1/3 c Warm water
1½ tbs Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
2 c Bread flour
3 Eggs
1 c Butter, softened
1 c Pearl sugar
1/2 c Fuji Apple, diced apple

Mix yeast, water, and sugar and let develop for 15 minutes.

Place flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well, pour in yeast mixture, and begin to knead. Continue to knead, add eggs, one at a time, and add soft butter mixing well. Let dough rest in bowl until doubled.

Gently mix in pearl sugar and apple. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat waffle iron. When hot, butter waffle iron, pour in 3 tablespoons dough per waffle. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until waffles lightly brown on top.

Yuzu-wasabi Asparagus

1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp Yuzu
1/2 tsp wasabi
1 tbs Kewpie mayonnaise
1 lb Asparagus, trimmed

In a medium pan, heat up olive oil. Add yuzu and wasabi. Sautee asparagus tips until al dente. Toss in mayonnaise. Serve warm. 

Bacon Jalapeno Corn Bread

Growing up, my grandmother would always make us 'care packages' where she'd cook us dinner. We'd stop by her house after school to pick them up on the way home. These straight out of the oven was always one of my favorite after-school snacks. 

I use her basic recipe and often mix in other ingredients for various flavors. Lets face it, bacon goes with everything. This version goes particularly well with seafood and chili.

2 c Flour
1 c Butter
1 c Sugar
1 c Milk
2 Eggs
3½ tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 c Corn Meal
5 strips of Bacon, diced and fried
1 medium Jalapeno Pepper, diced
1/4 c Corn kernels

Fry the bacon and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Mix wet ingredients and fold in the remaining dry ingredients.

Pour in a greased 9x9 pan. Bake @ 325º for 20-25 minutes.