Arancini - Fried Risotto Balls

This is a great recipe to use for leftover risotto. It's also a great make ahead appetizer. Cook up the risotto 2 days in advance of the party. Portion, roll into balls, and coat with bread crumbs 1 day before the party; just store them on a cookie sheet in the fridge, covered with foil. The day of the party right before it begins, pull out the arancini and allow to sit on the counter for 15 minutes. Fry the arancini until crispy and serve. The arancini are best a few minutes after being fried but are good at room temp as well.

I like to do a mix of plain bread crumbs and panko whenever I bread something. Panko adds a crispy texture but I've found if I do all panko it's too crispy and shreds the inside of my mouth. The combination makes sure the arancini are covered but still really crispy. 

If you want to get extra fancy you can stuff the rice balls before frying - adding a mozzarella cube or other cheese cube of your choice to the middle of the ball while rolling.

For serving you can be fancy and skewer each rice ball and drizzle it with sauce and top with herbs or you can be casual and pile the rice balls high on a platter with a side of dipping sauce. 

Ingredients:
2 cups Risotto - cooked and cooled
1 Egg
1/2 cup parmesan, plus more for serving 
2 cups Bread Crumbs (mix of plain and panko)
Marinara Sauce or your favorite dipping sauce for serving
Fresh chopped basil, optional
Canola Oil


Directions:

1. Add egg, parmesan and 1/4 cup bread crumbs to the risotto. Stir to combine and make 1/2 inch balls.

2. Toss balls in remaining breadcrumbs to coat.

3. Fry breaded balls in canola oil. Get a large pot with 2 inches of oil at the bottom and heat to medium high heat (350 degrees). Fry for a few minutes or until golden brown.

4. Drain fried rice balls on paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Serve with dipping sauce and topped with fresh herbs. 

Grilled Chicken Tostadas al Carbon

I wanted to use my grill since it was a nice day but wanted something healthy-ish. I found this marinade for the chicken and I am so glad I did. It has only 5 ingredients but it packs so much punch! My boyfriend said this was one of the best dishes I had ever made him and I will definitely be making it again.

Make sure to only marinate the chicken for the two hours. After that the lime juice starts to cook the chicken and it throws off the final flavor. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, charred and roughly chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobo, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/8 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 pound)
Cooking spray
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled, about 1/3 cup
1 batch of Cabbage Slaw (found in another post)
Lime wedges for serving

Direction:

1. Combine the lime juice, garlic, chipotle chile, brown sugar and chicken stock in a blender; season with salt. Mix in blender until well combined and no big chunks are remaining in the marinade.

2. Add the chicken and marinade to a plastic bag, toss well to coat, and refrigerate 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade; thread onto 4 (12-inch) skewers that have been soaking in water so they don't burn on the grill.

3. Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Add the chicken to the grill; cook for about 10 minutes, turning skewers occasionally so all sides of the chicken get some nice grill marks.

4. Set up all of the sides and allow people to make their own tacos.

Cabbage Slaw

I wanted something crispy to put on my Chicken Tacos Al Carbon and thought of a cabbage slaw. This turned out really great and I will make it again. I love the slaw dressing and plan to use it on other veggies as a marinade and on salads.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 small red onion, charred on grill and then coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, roasted or charred and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chiffonade 
1/2 head cabbage, finely shredded

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, except cabbage and herbs, in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Dressing can be made ahead during the day.

2. Place cabbage and herbs in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and let sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. Don't allow it to soak for too long otherwise the cabbage will get soggy.

Make Ahead Dinner Rolls

This dish is super simple to make but takes a long time due to the dough needing time to rise. The rolls came out tasting like a mix of a biscuit and a cornmeal muffin. It had a good texture and was really tasty, especially with the salt on top.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons melted, plus more melted for brushing
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

Making the Dough:
1. Warm 1/4 cup of the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to anywhere between 100 and 115 degrees F. Pour the milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Add the sugar and yeast, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the softened butter, half the flour, half the remaining milk and fine salt. Mix on medium-high speed just to incorporate.

3. Add the egg, mix until fully incorporated, then add the remaining flour and milk. Knead with the hook on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides, about 5 minutes (the dough will still be sticky).

4. Lightly butter a large bowl with some of the melted butter, and turn the dough out into it. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a slightly warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

5. Lightly butter two 12-cup muffin tins with some of the melted butter. Punch the dough down. Divide it into 24 even pieces, and roll them into rough balls. Roll each ball in the melted butter to coat, letting the excess drip off, and plop it into a muffin cup. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in the refrigerator at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Baking the Rolls:
1. Remove the tins from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour (the dough won't puff up significantly).

2. Position oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Sprinkle evenly with sea salt, and bake.

Option 1:
1. To serve the rolls right away instead of freezing them, after sprinkling them with sea salt, bake them until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, allow to cool for a few minutes and serve. Watch the rolls for the last few minutes of baking as they can burn quickly with all of the butter.

Option 2:
1. To parbake rolls and freeze for later use, bake them until just lightly golden but still rather pale and almost cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Watch the rolls for the last few minutes of baking as they can burn quickly with all of the butter.

2. Let the parbaked rolls cool slightly in the tins, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Pack them in resealable plastic bags, label and date, and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

3. To serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the frozen rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet until warmed through and golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Brush the warm rolls with melted butter.

Meatballs and Tomato Sauce with Polenta Squares

To make this dish I used my tomato sauce and meatball recipe from a previous post which can be found HERE. 

You can make each of these components a day in advance and reheat the day of. Just put the meatballs in the tomato sauce in a large pan over medium low heat. Stir and continue to warm sauce as you brown the polenta squares.

For an extra component I made a lemon crema (recipe at bottom of post). It added a nice creaminess to the dish but isn't necessary. Top dish with some fresh chopped parsley or basil or both. Enjoy!


Ingredients

1/8 pound (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp. minced thyme
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1.5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup good grated Parmesan
Flour, olive oil, and butter, for frying

Directions

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute.

2. Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil.

3. Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, until thickened and bubbly.

4. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. Pour into a 8 by 8 inch pan lined with parchment, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm and cold. (You can do this step up to 2 days ahead)

5. Right before serving: Cut the chilled polenta into 2 x 2 inch squares, as you would with brownies. Lift each one out with a spatula.

6. Dust each square lightly in flour. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan and cook the squares in batches over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side, until browned on the outside and heated inside. Add fresh/more butter and oil, as needed. Serve immediately.You can store finished batches in the oven at 200 degrees covered with a kitchen towel.


Lemon Crema:

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. For serving you can place in a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or a ziploc bag with the tip cut off (make shift piping bag). Just drizzle sauce over finished dish and top with herbs!

Potato and Corn Chowder

 (Definitely not my best picture but made this for a work potluck and it all got served before I could plate it well)
 
This soup is really great on a cold night. It's thick and creamy and fills you up! A really great make ahead dish for potlucks - just leave out the scallions and parsley until you reheat the soup and are ready to serve.

Ingredients:

3 ears of con, shucked
2 quarts water
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 1/4 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tbs. olive oil
1 red  bell pepper, chopped
2 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
3 cups heavy cream
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1.   Cut corn from each cob, then hold cob upright in a bowl and scrape with knife to extract "milk."

2. Bring cobs, water, potatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot, covered, then boil, covered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard cobs.

3. Meanwhile, cook onion, carrot, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is pale golden, about 10 minutes.

4. Add bell pepper, corn and its "milk," thyme, and bay leaves to pan of onion and carrots. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

4. Stir in potatoes with water and cream and gently boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 7 cups, about 30 minutes.

5. Stir in scallions, white pepper, cayenne, and salt to taste. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Creamy Caesar Salad

A lighter version of caesar salad. Instead of mayonnaise or a mix of mayo and sour cream I used greek yogurt. It has the tang of sour cream and the thick consistency of the mayo.  Use this on a caesar salad or a salad wrap!

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
3 large garlic cloves, roasted, peeled, and minced
3 tbsp. lemon
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. worchestire sauce
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil to thin out dressing

1. Combine all ingredients but olive oil into a blender. Set blender at medium and mix until well combine. Taste for seasoning of salt and pepper.

2.  If dressing is too thick add some olive oil a tbs. at a time until it is the desired thickness.

Flank Steak Sandwich

I saw this dish on dinners drive in and dives on the food network. It was from a mexican food truck. I've always heard coke is a good tenderizer and I wanted to try this. The combo of the coke and the soy sauce really tenderized the meat and added a lot of flavor. This sandwich took a bit of effort but was really tasty and I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients: 
2 lbs. flank steak - cut into 1/2 pound chunks.
1 can coke
2 large white onions
6 cloves garlic (peeled first then charred in pan)
2 oranges cut into chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 large bottle of green Dos Equies beer
salt and pepper

white sandwich buns
can of black beans
chicken stock
queso fresco, crumbled
arugula

Directions:

marinade for flank steak:

1 onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves roasted garlic (peeled first then charred in pan)
2 oranges - cut into chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
pepper
1 large bottle of beer

1. Combine all mariade ingredients in a bowl. Add flank steak chunks and allow to marinate at least 8 hours and up to over night.

2. Heat a few tbs. of canola oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add a few flank steak pieces at a time a cook on each side for 4-5 minutes or until a nice brown crust forms. Allow beef to rest for at least 10 minutes.

3. Carmelize the 1 sliced onion with a splash of coca cola, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a pan over medium low heat. Seat aside when finished but keep warm.

4. Combine black beans and chicken stock into a pan with some salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder. (if you don't have extra spices that's ok). Cook for 10 minutes and then mash with a fork or potato masher. You want a chunky spread but enough mashed beans to be spreadable. 

4. Thinly slice flank steak across the grain. Add a tbs. of canola oil and 1 tbs. of butter to a pan over medium heat. Add steak in a layer and top with the queso fresco. Cover with a lid to help cheese melt and heat steak through to desired temperature doneness.


5. Assemble sandwich:

Thin layer of bean spread on each side of bun.
Toast bread with bean side down for 1 minute

Place steak and cheese mix on bun, then onions, then arugula.
Cut sandwich in half and serve.

Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes

If you like salt and vinegar chips, you will love this side dish. It pairs really well with heavier meats because the acidity in the potatoes helps brighten the whole dish.

2 lbs. yukon gold potaotes (halved or quartered if larged)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar.
2 tbsp. fresh chopped chives or green onions

Directions:

1. Combine potatoes, white vinegar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover potatoes with 1 inch of liquid. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender- about 25 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add potatoes and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden brown - about 8 minutes.

3. Add sherry vinegar to pan and cook for 1 more minute. (You can add an extra splash of vinegar if you particularly love vinegar.)

4. Remove to paper towel lined plate to absorb any extra butter and oil. Place on serving platter and top with chives or green onions and extra salt.