Try, Try Again... and Succeed!
Dinner two weeks ago sucked. I mean I sorrowfully threw the entire main dish away, then mourned its passing for 20 minutes. Staring longingly at the trash can, wishing it had just been... well, better.
The first thing that went wrong was deciding to follow a recipe instead of inventing it myself (which is my usual norm). Big. Mistake. I chose a recipe that sounded tasty and had decent reviews, plus it was by my love-hate idol, Martha Stewart. I am both jealous of her domestic goddessy and disdainful of her character at the same time. She is a bore, but she rules the crating/cooking/house-wifey world. I want to be a cooler, hipper, gluten-free version of her someday (with the bonus of a great personality!). Anyways, the recipe was awful. It was a quiche recipe with few light-flavored ingredients. This worried me at first, but then I turned to the reviews and they sounded fantastic! How could I go wrong? I invented my own new crust recipe that was delicious (one I will absolutely use and blog about later). The filling however, Martha's portion, was dreadful. It has so little flavor, and the flavor that you did taste was musty grass. Bleh! I kept trying it, thinking that it would magically get better. That it was just that one particular bite that was disgusting. "Maybe the next will taste better," I told myself. But, 4 bites in and the quiche was destined for the trash.
Which is why last night's dinner had to be a knock-out. It had to defy gravity. Move mountains. It had to be Oscar-worthy. Also, it had to be quick and affordable as my time and wallet have both been stretched a little thin lately. The result of my grief and desperate desire for deliciousness was Asparagus and Spring Pea Risotto Topped with Poached Eggs and Mache. Wahoo!!! A winner! A Triumph! Now, I sort of knew it would be delicious, as risotto is a staple in my kitchen. But, the complete meal surpassed my expectations. Totally packed with vegetables, it was creamy, light and fresh at the same time, not heavy like a typical restaurant risotto dinner. The poached eggs added a second layer of creaminess (cue angelic "Ah" please), while the asparagus, peas and mache kept it light and springy. I don't really re-make meals ever (like ever), but I would consider definitely consider re-making this little number. Now, without further ado, I bring you risotto done right:
Asparagus and Spring Pea Risotto with Poached Eggs and Mache: Yields 4-6 Servings
2 T butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, small dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups warm vegetable stock
12 oz asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces on a bias
8 oz shelled fresh peas
1 cup grated Asiago cheese, plus extra for garnish (if desired)
zest of 1 lemon
4-6 eggs
1 cup mache (optional for garnish)
1. Heat butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sweat until translucent. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add wine to pan and simmer until it has been absorbed; season with salt and pepper. Add stock one ladle-full at a time, stirring frequently until it has been absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue with remaining stock.
2. Meanwhile, blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, or until bright green and crisp-tender. Shock in ice water. Repeat with peas, cooking for only about 15 seconds. Also poach eggs for 4 minutes each in simmering water (add 1/4 cup white vinegar to help coagulate the egg whites, if desired) and hold in a bath of lukewarm water until ready to serve.
3. When risotto is tender and creamy, stir in blanched asparagus, peas, grated cheese and lemon zest. Readjust seasonings, if necessary. Top each portion with a poached egg, a large pinch of mache lettuce and additional cheese, if desired.
Again, this risotto was awesome. I like my veggies crisp-tender, but you can cook them longer in the risotto if you would like. Either way, this meal is destined to be one you'll enjoy :) My other cooking this week consists of a huge week-long lunch of Zucchini, Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Blue Cheese and Roasted Shallot Dressing, Homemade Marshmallows and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. If I remember to take any pictures, I'll be sure to share the recipes!
The first thing that went wrong was deciding to follow a recipe instead of inventing it myself (which is my usual norm). Big. Mistake. I chose a recipe that sounded tasty and had decent reviews, plus it was by my love-hate idol, Martha Stewart. I am both jealous of her domestic goddessy and disdainful of her character at the same time. She is a bore, but she rules the crating/cooking/house-wifey world. I want to be a cooler, hipper, gluten-free version of her someday (with the bonus of a great personality!). Anyways, the recipe was awful. It was a quiche recipe with few light-flavored ingredients. This worried me at first, but then I turned to the reviews and they sounded fantastic! How could I go wrong? I invented my own new crust recipe that was delicious (one I will absolutely use and blog about later). The filling however, Martha's portion, was dreadful. It has so little flavor, and the flavor that you did taste was musty grass. Bleh! I kept trying it, thinking that it would magically get better. That it was just that one particular bite that was disgusting. "Maybe the next will taste better," I told myself. But, 4 bites in and the quiche was destined for the trash.
Which is why last night's dinner had to be a knock-out. It had to defy gravity. Move mountains. It had to be Oscar-worthy. Also, it had to be quick and affordable as my time and wallet have both been stretched a little thin lately. The result of my grief and desperate desire for deliciousness was Asparagus and Spring Pea Risotto Topped with Poached Eggs and Mache. Wahoo!!! A winner! A Triumph! Now, I sort of knew it would be delicious, as risotto is a staple in my kitchen. But, the complete meal surpassed my expectations. Totally packed with vegetables, it was creamy, light and fresh at the same time, not heavy like a typical restaurant risotto dinner. The poached eggs added a second layer of creaminess (cue angelic "Ah" please), while the asparagus, peas and mache kept it light and springy. I don't really re-make meals ever (like ever), but I would consider definitely consider re-making this little number. Now, without further ado, I bring you risotto done right:Asparagus and Spring Pea Risotto with Poached Eggs and Mache: Yields 4-6 Servings
2 T butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, small dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups warm vegetable stock
12 oz asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces on a bias
8 oz shelled fresh peas
1 cup grated Asiago cheese, plus extra for garnish (if desired)
zest of 1 lemon
4-6 eggs
1 cup mache (optional for garnish)
1. Heat butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sweat until translucent. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add wine to pan and simmer until it has been absorbed; season with salt and pepper. Add stock one ladle-full at a time, stirring frequently until it has been absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue with remaining stock.
2. Meanwhile, blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, or until bright green and crisp-tender. Shock in ice water. Repeat with peas, cooking for only about 15 seconds. Also poach eggs for 4 minutes each in simmering water (add 1/4 cup white vinegar to help coagulate the egg whites, if desired) and hold in a bath of lukewarm water until ready to serve.
3. When risotto is tender and creamy, stir in blanched asparagus, peas, grated cheese and lemon zest. Readjust seasonings, if necessary. Top each portion with a poached egg, a large pinch of mache lettuce and additional cheese, if desired.
Again, this risotto was awesome. I like my veggies crisp-tender, but you can cook them longer in the risotto if you would like. Either way, this meal is destined to be one you'll enjoy :) My other cooking this week consists of a huge week-long lunch of Zucchini, Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Blue Cheese and Roasted Shallot Dressing, Homemade Marshmallows and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. If I remember to take any pictures, I'll be sure to share the recipes!
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