Rice and Grains | Bewitching Kitchen

I’ve never met a risotto I didn’t like! It’s one of the most versatile dishes around. You can get fancy (lobster and saffron come to mind), or keep it simple, but it’s always satisfying. This tomato risotto falls into the latter category, in that I didn’t roast the tomatoes myself. Instead I used a Muir’s product that I’m quite fond of. Their roasted tomatoes have just the right amount of heat and smoke, and these days I shamelessly admit gastronomic shortcuts without guilt, as long as they involve quality ingredients. This risotto will also succeed with homemade oven-dried tomatoes, or a lovingly prepared tomato confit. But, for the time being try this version, which will warm up your senses, every single one of them! 😉

FIRE-ROASTED TOMATO RISOTTO
(inspired by Donna Hay)

1 shallot, finely minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice (or other short grain rice appropriate for risotto)
3-4 cups of vegetable stock
1 can (14.5 oz) of Muir fire-roasted tomatoes, some of the liquid included
(I used diced tomatoes with green chilies)
thyme
salt and pepper
1-2 Tbs butter to finish the dish

Heat the vegetable stock in a sauce pan, add all the tomatoes and some of the water, season lightly with salt and pepper, and reserve, keeping it warm.

Saute the minced shallots in olive oil until soft. Add the rice and saute for at least 2 minutes, stirring often, making sure each grain is well coated with oil.

Start adding the hot vegetable stock/tomato mixture, slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing it to be almost fully incorporated before adding more liquid. Keep stirring gently. Add some fresh thyme towards the end of the cooking time. Keep the heat low, and pay attention to the changes in the rice grains: they’ll become more plump and translucent as they cook. When the rice is ready (not mushy), add a little more stock. Finish it by swirling some butter and stirring to form a nice emulsion with the sauce. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Donna Hay used tomato puree, white wine, and served her risotto with mussels. We didn’t have any white wine on hand, so I just used stock and tomatoes. Whenever you make risotto, be sure to warm enough liquid for the cooking – better to have some leftover than to run out of it midway through the preparation. The amount in the recipe is more than enough, even considering variations in the type (and age) of the rice.

We enjoyed it with seared sea scallops, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a dust of ground coriander, then seared quickly on a hot non-stick skillet with a smear of olive oil. It was a good match for the fiery rice, leading my husband to close the dinner with one of my favorite phrases: “you are going to make this again, right”? No worries there. In fact, I think I’ll have an “encore” next week! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: A special dinner for two

receita em portugues na proxima pagina

Farro: a fun word for a mysterious grain, about which a lot of controversy exists as to its origin. Some say it’s a type of wheat, but that’s not the case, farro is a grain from a related, but different plant. It was a staple at the height of the Roman Empire, and persevered since those days until now in central parts of Italy, where it’s still grown, consumed and exported. Farro is loaded with vitamins and low in gluten, so even people with gluten allergies may enjoy it. Plus, it performs well in many kinds of recipes, from risottos to breads, from stews to salads. What an amazing little grain, that’s perfect as the focus of my 200th post! 😉

BEWITCHING FARRO SALAD
(from my kitchen)

to cook the grain:
1 cup farro (not the pearled variety)
2.5 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

for the dressing (it will make more than you need):
1/2 cup olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon (or other citric fruits, alone or in combination)
pinch of salt
ground black pepper

for the salad:
asparagus, finely sliced in tiny “coins”
radishes, cut in match sticks
diced tomatoes
diced cucumbers
minced cilantro (optional)

Cook the farro by mixing it with water and salt in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil and gently simmering it for 45 minutes (or a little longer, taste to decide when it’s fully cooked, but don’t let it get mushy). If the grain cooks but there’s some water left, drain it. Otherwise just fluff it with a fork and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Make the salad dressing by mixing the olive oil with lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Reserve. Add the asparagus and radishes to a small bowl and sprinkle with some of the salad dressing, mixing to lightly coat them.

At serving time, mix the cooked farro with the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro (if using), asparagus and radishes, add more dressing to taste, adjust the seasoning.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: A couple of years ago I watched Anne Burrell use raw asparagus as the main ingredient in an unusual salad. She inspired me in this farro recipe. Since the asparagus spears are raw, thinly slice both them and the radishes. If you add some dressing to these two ingredients and allow them to rest while you prepare the remainder of the salad, it will mellow their sharpness.

I haven’t given any exact amounts for the ingredients so that you can play with them, using more or less, depending on your own taste. Skip some, add something else (onions, diced olives, capers, mint leaves), and adapt the dressing too: orange juice complements asparagus and farro quite nicely!

The grain doesn’t go mushy in the fridge overnight, and in fact the salad was still outstanding next day. I can see raw asparagus in our future quite often: couscous, orzo, and cracked wheat salads will never be the same…

My husband, after polishing off leftovers, said: “You are making this again, right”? – I guess food bloggers’ partners live in fear of never tasting the same dish twice… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: From Sea to Table: SUSHI