Arancini | Cheese Filled Risotto Croquettes

We discovered these little bites of rice heaven at the Boathouse, a local water side restaurant here in Richmond.  (They catered my wedding, yum!  Too bad these weren't on the menu then)  From the first bite, you just fall in love.  They have an unbelievably crispy exterior that breaks a bit when you bite into them, then you get the soft, creamy risotto, and the surprising stringy bite of mozzarella... OMG, these things are the best appetizer ever!  Seriously, can you go wrong when you combine fried crunchy, salty creamy and cheesy gooey?  Heck no!  They serve their Arancini with roasted red peppers and artichoke, but for my first time, I decided to stick to just the Arancini itself.

I looked up a billion recipes for these and have to say that if you give them a try yourself, keep it simple.  There was one suggestion that called for you to add an egg and heavy cream to the day old risotta, all I have to say to that is: DISASTER!  It took my perfectly old sticky rice and turned it back into a soft gooey mess.  Needless to say I had to start all over and was forced to wait another 24 hours.  I also suggest that you refrain from adding either pancetta or prosciutto inside with your mozzarella, not only does it add to the cost of this pretty inexpensive dish, the prosciutto becomes an unappetizing hard ball inside the Arancini...it was as yucky as it sounds.

I'm sad to say it was harder to make these than I was hoping, I think it's all in the texture of your rice.  I had to wash and thoroughly dry my hands in between every two balls!   Let me tell you, there was a lot of cussing and huffing and even a little rice throwing during this part.  The rice just did not want to stick together!  Once they were all formed though, the rest was a breeze, and they fry up in seconds.  You must make these, they were worth every bit of frustration and the unexpected extra day wait.

Arancini

Risotto, refrigerated over night

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups Panko
1 cup flour
fresh mozzarella ball (cubed)
olive oil or vegetable oil
day old risotto, prepared
tomato sauce 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 350 degrees.  You want enough oil to almost, but not completely cover your Arancini. 

2. Set up your dipping stations using three medium sized mixing bowls.  Fill bowl one with just flour, bowl two with eggs and milk (beaten), and in bowl three, fill with the bread crumbs and Panko.  Have a baking sheet (with sides) lined with parchment paper ready.

3. Take about 2-3 tablespoons risotto, form into a ball then smoosh into your hand.  Place 1-3 pieces of your cubed mozzarella cheese (depending on size) in the middle of your smooshed ball, cover and reform into a tight ball, drop into the flour.  I recommend doing these in groups of 3-4 at a time, once you have 3-4 balls in the flour, shake off excess then put them into the egg mixture, making sure they get well coated, then drop them into the Panko mixture.  Again, make sure they are covered well, shake off excess and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.

4.  Once all of your balls are formed you're ready to fry them.  The oil should be good and hot, they'll brown in less than a minute (probably about 20-30 seconds).  Don't stop moving them, turn them over regularly, once they're a nice rich brown, get them out and back onto the baking sheet.

5.  Heat the Arancini in the oven for 8-10 minutes, this will finish their cooking and melt the mozzarella inside.  Serve immediately with your favorite tomato sauce!

* When making your risotto, I recommend adding 1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese.  Cool completely before covering and putting in the refrigerator, you do not want to trap any liquid in there.

Interesting tidbit:  Cheese Arancini are known as Telefono or Telephone Fritters for the string or 'telephone line' of cheese that stretches between the two halves when broken open!

If anyone out there has suggestions on the frustrating ball forming portion of this, I'd love to hear it, as I will be making these again and again!

Spanakopita

Is anyone else as intimidated by Phyllo dough as I am?  Just the thought of having to work like a mad woman to avoid Phyllo disaster terrified me...and now I know why.  While this wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done, it wasn't totally easy either.  


I absolutely LOVE Spanakopita...it's buttery and flaky and salty and cheesy, and seriously, what else do you need in life.  I used to pick up a box of the frozen stuff regularly and eat just that for dinner.  I've tried fresh, and to be honest, this box frozen stuff was actually better, sad but true.  (I'm sure there's some great fresh stuff out there, I just haven't been lucky enough to get any yet)  Then the worst thing ever happened...Kroger stopped carrying it!  WTF, what in the world would cause them to do that? 


Maybe it's a good thing after all, the stuff can't possibly be good for you, and if I'm forced to make it myself I'll dang sure be eating a lot less of it.  That being said, it was awesome and totally worth my effort!  I made the first batch over the weekend and took it to a moms group meeting, there wasn't any left to take home, so I guess they liked it.  I personally thought it was missing something, so I changed it up a bit for the second round, and I (and the hubby), both think it came out much better.


Every recipe I read said to just use melted butter (or olive oil), but I just so happened to catch a Good Eats episode where Alton was making Baklava, he recommended using clarified butter when working with Phyllo dough so that you would eliminate the water in plain melted butter...so that's the way I went here as well.  If you've never made Spanakopita yourself, I highly recommend giving it a try!

Spanakopita 

aka Greek Spinach Pie | Spanakopitakia 


1 1/2-2 Sticks unsalted butter, clarified and cooled
1 lb fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
4 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Pkg Phyllo dough, thawed (1 8oz pk)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
olive oil


1. Wilt your spinach with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, you'll most likely need to work in batches.  Allow the spinach to cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, rough chop and put into a medium sized bowl. 


2. Sauté chopped onion and parsley in olive oil until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add to spinach, along with egg, lemon juice, feta and nutmeg, combine until all ingredients are well mixed.


3.  Lay out 1 piece of Phyllo dough, brush with  butter, overlap with one more piece of Phyllo, brush again with butter.  Using a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter), cut your Phyllo into 3 strips, (picture below to help give you a visual).


4. Place about 1 1/2 Tbs of spinach mixture at the end of each strip of Phyllo.  Roll into triangles, like you would the American Flag :) 


5.  Continue until you've used all of your spinach mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until they're nice and golden.  Sprinkle with a little salt while they're still hot. 


Tips: 
1. Keep your Phyllo under plastic wrap and a damp towel while you're working with it.
2. You can make these ahead (about 3-4 days), freeze before cooking, then when you need them, just pop them in the oven frozen!
3. If you aren't interested in all this work, make a pie in a baking dish instead.  Bake for about 40 minutes, cutting into slices about half way through.
 

 

Mommy Mayhem, Manic Mommy... whatever, Melissa d'Arabian wins

Anyone watch The Next FoodNetwork Star: Season 5? This was my first season watching the show, so have no idea how it rates to the previous ones, but Manic Mommy, Melissa d'Arabian wins the day. Initially I wasn't quite sure about her, she's not a chef, just a home cook (like most of us) so I didn't really hold out much hope. But from the very first episode she had me, her apple tart/cookie thing was the only recipe I was craving after the show, not that FoodNetwork is giving it out! :/

I've been reading a lot on FoodNetwork's web site, not much of it so nice to Melissa...guess she'll have a lot of that coming, so I felt the need to try a recipe and give a shout out to a fellow mom, mom to 4, mom to twins - you get the idea!


FoodNetwork has decided the new show will be Ten Dollar Dinners... not so sure yet what I think of this, I'll be reserving judgement. I do know however that I'll be recording it, as the day/time slot they've chosen really stinks! (Sunday's 12:30pm, premieres Aug. 9)

5-Minute Individual Potato Gratins

2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly slices
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.

3. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

OK, I changed it up a little, cause that's what I do! Plus I was working with what I had. I really just made this to try it out, so reduced all the amounts down to make just 3 individual servings.

I used Swiss Gruyere and blue cheeses and chives instead of green onion, again cause it's what I had. I used a mandolin to slice my potatoes extra thin and save some time, then cut the slices in half to fit in the tin better, (too bad I about sliced off my finger...please people, madonlins come with a guard for a reason, use it!). I layered potatoes about half way up, poured in some cheese sauce, finished filling with sliced potatoes, then finished with the rest of the cheese sauce. There were about a gazillion complaints in the reviews of this recipe about their gratins sticking... I used standard tins, standard cooking spray and I had no problems at all, they came right out, so not sure what's up with everyone else's issue.

I gotta say, great recipe Melissa! This is the perfect size for me, I can make just what I want, saving me time and money...bonus: For some reason the cheese/potatoes got way crispy on the top/edges, maybe since it was cooked in a metal tin, instead of the ceramic dish I usually do gratins in, whatever the reason, those crunchy parts were like icing on my cake... or crunchy bits on my potato, er whatever, it was awe-some!

Sweet Summer Days

Sweet summer days...I hope you never end... Oh who am I kidding, I am so ready for school to start! I feel a little terrible saying it, or even thinking it, but it's true. I love my kids dearly but I am very ready to have less of them at home, all day - every day!

I may wish to get rid of them, but I can still appreciate some nice summer goodness. Aidan and I attended a fun birthday pool party, (twins left languishing at home with big sis). But it was Holy Hot Batman... thank God I put sun screen on little man, just too bad I forgot about myself, my nose is feeling the forgetfulness. Summers in Virginia are all about the nasty humidness (not a real word is it?), the older I get though, the nastier it feels!

I had a hell of a time getting Aidan to leave after 3 hours of pool play, he was so stinkin' tired though he was about to drop and ended up passing out in the car on the way home. It was nice to have a little mommy conversation time while he played with school friends...he's missed many of them so much. I want to send out a big thanks to Christie (party mom), for sending home two extra goody bags for the twins, otherwise one of them might have committed murder over a plastic compass!

Side note: No potty training accidents yesterday from either of the twins, YAY I'm so proud of my big boys, but just a little sad that they're this old already :( where does the time go.

Now, on to the food... Sunday my parents came over for dinner, and in honor of this Sweet Summer Day, I made a classic summer day dish of Chipotle Mayonnaise burgers, Onion Rings and the Ultimate Lady's Mac and Cheese... it doesn't get much better than this...


Cheeseburger topped with Chipotle Mayo and Onion Straws

Burger of choice
Swiss cheese
bacon
Chipotle mayonnaise
onion rings
bun

optional: carmalized onion, lettuce, tomato

Chipotle Mayonnaise

¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ sour cream
2-4 canned Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
juice of ½ lime
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and process to a puree. Taste it about half way through and add more peppers if needed, I ended up using 2 medium and 2 large peppers. Refrigerate at least an hour, but I recommend over night to really meld the flavors.

Serve on burger and as a dip for your onion rings.

Buttermilk-Cornmeal Onion Rings, Ina Garten

2 large sweet onions
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil

1. Peel the onions, slice them super thin, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

2. When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200° F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

3. Heat the oil to 350° F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve on top of your burgers!

Beer Battered Onion Rings

2 large sweet onions
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 Tbs cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic, granulated
12 ounces beer, medium body
1 quart vegetable oil

1. Slice onions ½ - ¾ inch thick, separate into rings and soak in buttermilk for 1 hour.

2. Combine 1 cup of flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, and garlic mix thoroughly. In another bowl combine beer and 1 cup of flour, mix thoroughly.

3. Remove onion rings from buttermilk, shake off excess, dredge in flour, shake off excess, then dip in beer batter. Drop some onion rings in oil and continue process, being sure not to crowd rings as they will stick together. When golden, remove and let drain on paper towels.

Serve with Chipotle Mayonnaise as a dipping sauce.

Ultimate Lady’s Mac and Cheese, Paula Deen

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups dried)
1/3 each of the following cheeses (grated):
Swiss
Jack
Colby
Muenster
Gouda
½ cup sour cream
4 Tbs butter, softened
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Boil macaroni until al dente, about 10 minutes. While pasta is cooking, shred your cheeses.

2. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl, while pasta is still hot, add cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, butter, eggs, milk, salt and pepper, add to macaroni mixture and combine. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray and pour in macaroni.

3. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Fresh Tomatoes
Mozzarella
Capers
Fresh Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Can't get much easier than that huh!? We had a few fresh grape tomatoes that I threw in there, they were so much sweeter than the store bought Roma's. As you can see from the picture, just layer slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese, load on the fresh basil, capers and salt and pepper, then drizzle the whole thing with good quality extra virgin olive oil... perfection!

Slow Cooker BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Baked Beans

Nothing says summer time quite like BBQ Baby Back Ribs and Baked Beans. There are of course a million and one ways to make them both, and everyone has their own opinion on which is the right way. Being a busy mom of 4, I prefer the crock pot or slow cooker way of doing things. They're not only easy to make, they are absolutely fabulous, even my meat eater man says so. I tried a different recipe once and I thought he was going to divorce me, he likes them that much! I can't claim the Baked Bean recipe, it comes from my friend and neighbor Laura H. passed down to her by a friend of a friend...you know how it is.

Not sure how much of these the kids will eat, they can be picky sometimes, then other times they shock me and hoover the food as if I never feed them! We'll see how it goes...


Slow Cooker BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Baby Back Ribs, 1-2 Racks
1 28oz can chunky tomatoes
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Cut ribs so they will fit in your slow cooker, either individually or in sets of 2-3. Place in the bottom of a lined slow cooker. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all other ingredients. Pour over your ribs and cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2 ½ -3 hours.


Baked Beans

2 16oz cans of Pork & Beans, drained
¾ cup KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled & diced
1 medium onion, diced
¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground red pepper
3 bacon slices, preferably applewood

Heat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, stir all ingredients except the drained beans and bacon. Fold beans in carefully so as not to smash the beans. Pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish. Place bacon slices on top. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Tip: Doubles perfectly for parties. If feeding little people, or anyone who may not like the hot stuff, reduce the red pepper or omit completely.


And here's the end result, just scrumptious!

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

OMG, it worked! I know the book and website and all the reviews said it would work, but I was seriously skeptical. Not because I didn't think it could be done, I just didn't think I could do it. I have always wanted to try making my own bread. Fresh baked, crusty bread is just about the best thing you'll ever eat. Grocery store options, while better now than ever before, are still really lacking and tend to turn into a hard brick on my counter that could do serious injury to your toes if dropped!

Having broken my hand this past winter, I had pretty much given up any hope of every baking my own bread. It has healed, for the most part, but I'm pretty sure it's just never going to be the same, grasping anything is pretty much impossible now so kneading dough was certainly not in my future. So thank you God for directing me to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day! My only complaint about the book is it's high cost and lack of photos. I was pretty disappointed to find very, very few photos, most of which are not in color. I'm a visual baker, but thankfully it didn't compromise my end result :) I seriously recommend you run out immediately and buy this book, it's well worth the high price tag. If you have a little patients (which I don't), you can order it much cheaper on Amazon.

Did you see my pictures above, isn't it absolutely beautiful!?! I followed the directions to the letter, something I just about always do on a first run of any recipe. In the end, the bread was not only pretty, but it actually tasted amazing. The top crust needed to be a little crustier/crunchier, the inside was a tad too chewy and the bottom was a bit soft. After reading the book notes, next time I will decrease my water by 1/4 cup, increase my baking time by about 5-7 minutes, and not place it directly on a wood cutting board after pulling out of the oven, which is what softened my bread bottom. Originally it was nice and crunchy, next time it says to place on a non-porous surface to cool, such as a cooling rack.

And the families review: AWESOME, dad just wanted to know why there wasn't more! I have three, 1 pound loaves to go in this batch, I can't wait to change it up next time and try something new.