Pumpkin Risotto

It is officially my favorite time of year, Autumn! There is a nice crisp in the air, yes I am one of those people who like cold weather, the leaves are changing to bright shades or red and orange, and fall flavors are out in full swing, apples, squashes, and one of my favorites, pumpkin.  I think what I like most about pumpkin is its versatility; it is great in desserts, think Pies, Pumpkin Rolls, and Cookies, but it is also great in savory dishes such as soups, pastas, and yes risotto. I found a recipe last fall and have tweaked it a couple times since.  Romano cheese gives it a nice richness, while the Goat cheese gives it a slight tang.  The addition of Pumpkin gives it a creaminess and a touch of sweetness that will keep you coming back for more! 

 

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Leak Sliced Thin (Soak in water to get all of the grit out)

1 Cup Arborio Rice

¾ Cup White Wine

6-8 Cups Chicken Stock

1 ½ Cups Canned Pumpkin

¼ Cup Ramano Cheese

2oz Goat Cheese

Add Chicken stock and pureed pumpkin to a sauce pan and turn on low to keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pan and add the leak, sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice and brown for 1 minute. Add white wine, stirring constantly until dissolved. Once dissolved, add two ladles of the stock/pumpkin mixture, stirring frequently. Once the liquid is dissolved, add another ladle of stock. Continue the process, adding stock and stirring frequently until rice is just slightly al dente, about 35-40 minutes. Once it is to the desired consistency, add both cheeses and salt to taste. I like to serve as a side dish since it is rich, but feel free to use as a main dish as well.

It's a Taco...BALL!

It is finally football season! Okay, okay, I may be a couple weeks late on this, but regardless, the time is here to spend your weekends on the couch with a group of friends, cheering on your favorite team, ours of course, the Buckeyes.  I don’t know about you, but it is not a true football Saturday, or Sunday without some great food, and when I say great food, balls must be included. It has been a while since I have come up with a new ball, but I think this one will be a crowd pleaser. The ingredients are simple, but the flavors are bold; this is one that is definitely worth trying!

Ball Filling

1lb Ground Turkey/Chicken/ Beef (I used Turkey)

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

2 Jalapeno’s - seeded and chopped (I left seeds from half of one to add some spice)

1 bunch green onions chopped (white parts only)

2 8oz packages Cream Cheese - Softened

8oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Shredded

1 15.5oz Can Corn – drained

½ bunch Cilantro – Chopped

2 packages Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or Sheets

Brown meat until cooked through. Add Taco seasoning and ¾ cup water, cook until thickened.  Add Taco Meat, Cream Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Jalapeno’s, Green Onions, Corn, and Cilantro to a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Cut Crescent sheets into 16 squares and place a dollop of filling in the middle. Fold corners together and form into a ball.  Place on a cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve with Cilantro Sour Cream and Avocado spread if desired

Cilantro Sour Cream

1 Cup Sour Cream

Zest of 1 Lime

Juice ½ Lime

1/4tsp Salt

2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

Combine all ingredients and chill 20 minutes

Avocado Dip

2 Avocados

2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

Dash Lime Juice

1 Clove Garlic Chopped

1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Onion

1 Small Tomato- Diced

Salt to Taste

Dash of Tobasco (optional)

Combine all ingredients except the tomato and combine until smooth. Add tomato and combine gently; ensure seasoning is correct. Chill 20 minutes

Sweet Corn Risotto

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler, and that can mean only one thing, summer is coming to an end.  I don’t know about you, but I am not sure where it went. Now don’t get me wrong, I am always excited for fall, the cool crisp air, changing of the leaves, and football of course, but there is one thing that I will surely miss about summer, the abundance  of fresh local produce we wait all year long for.  Of all the local produce we can get our hands on, I would have to say that Sweet Corn is my all-time favorite.  There is so much that one can do with it, boil it, grill it, add it to salads, but my new favorite use has to be creating a sweet, creamy risotto out of it.  Boiling the cobs make a perfect stock and fresh cut kernels add the right amount of texture to the finished dish. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!

Ingredients

8 Ears Fresh Sweet Corn

2 Tablespoons Butter

3 Leeks – sliced and rinsed

1 Cup Arborio Rice

½ Cup White Wine

4 Cups Chicken Stock

4 Cups Corn Stock (recipe to follow)2 ounces Goat Cheese

½ Cup Romano Cheese

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Corn Stock

Cut the kernels off the cobs and set kernels aside. Place corn cobs in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil and let boil for about 40 minutes creating a stock; remove cobs from stock. Combine ½ of the corn kernels and about 4 cups stock in a blender and puree until smooth.

Add corn mixture to a pot with chicken stock and turn on low to keep warm.

Add butter to a large pan on medium to medium-low and melt. Add leaks and sweat out for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly, and then deglaze with white wine. Once the wine is dissolved, add 2 ladles full of stock, stir until liquid dissolves. Add 1 ladle of stock at a time and let dissolve stirring consistently throughout. Continue this process until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

Add Romano and goat cheese, along with remaining corn. Stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

 

So it is that time of year where the days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and all you want to do is sit out on the patio with a cold drink, a hot grill and good company. It was one of the first weekends where we were having friends over and could really be outside and have a proper cookout. I was making whole grilled chickens that were brined and then covered with a smoky spicy rub, recipe to come, and wanted to come up with a lite but flavor filled side dish that would complement the spicy meat. My first thought was potato salad, an all-time favorite, but the marathon is over and that means no more 20+ mile runs on the weekends, and swim suit season, well is here, so I thought why not stay away from the heavy mayonnaise and create something a bit more healthy. I feel like quinoa continues to gain awareness and popularity, and why not since it is packed full of proteins and vitamins, but I wanted to jazz it up a bit. Fresh corn and zucchini, two of my favorite summer vegetables, are starting to pop up in stores and local farmer’s markets, and I just had to use them. I threw these on the grill, along with red pepper and onion, to add a depth and flavor that just scream summer. I chopped up the grilled vegetables, added them to the cooked quinoa with a bunch of chopped fresh cilantro, fresh squeezed lime juice, zest, and olive oil, creating the perfect summer salad!

 

Salad

4 Ears Corn on the Cob Peeled

2 Zuchinni, peeled and each cut into 4 thick slices

1 Red onion sliced thick

Red Pepper

1 bunch Cilantro coarsely chopped

Cooking Spray

Garlic Powder

Salt

Quinoa

1 Cup Quinoa

3 Cups Chicken Stock

Dressing

4 Freshly Squeezed Limes

2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove Chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste

Follow the directions on the Quinoa box, but substitute chicken stock for water. In the meantime, cut vegetables, spray, and add garlic powder and salt. Grill until there are nice marks on them, but ensure to keep firm.

Dice vegetables and cut corn off the cobb and add to the cooked Quinoa. Add Cilantro and dressing and chill for at least one hour.

Spinach and Artichoke Balls

 

Most of the balls I have made so far are filled with some sort of spicy meat, salami, pepperoni, chorizo, etc. which is all well and good, but it never hurts to change it up a bit. I wanted to create something that may appeal to those who don’t like the delicious pork and beef (I know hard to believe that is possible) that usually fill the balls. Spinach and artichoke dip is a staple, and I thought what better way to eat it than wrapped in buttery crescent roll and cooked to perfection, creating a creamy cheesy  bite of goodness that one won’t want to resist. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

 Filling

12oz Softened Cream Cheese

4oz Shredded Asiago Cheese

¼ Cup Mayonnaise

1 can Artichoke Hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 8oz box frozen Spinach drained and squeezed dry

1 clove garlic chopped

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 Package Crescent Rolls or Sheet

Combine Cream Cheese, Asiago Cheese, and Mayonnaise in a bowl. Sautee Garlic in a pan with cooking spray for about a minute. Add Spinach and cook for 3 minutes until warmed through, salt and pepper to taste. Add Spinach and Artichokes to the cheese mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

 

Cut Crescent sheet into 16 squares and place about 1 Tablespoon of filling in the center of each one, pinch edges and form in to a ball. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chorizo Stuffed Pretzel Balls

So it has been a while since my last ball post and I was ready to change it up a bit; enough of the crescent roll, it is time for a new vessel to hold the delicious filling….And that is how I decided on the pretzel ball. I mean who doesn’t like pretzel bread?? There is lightness and squishiness, yes that is the technical term, that is just right, and the sprinkling of salt on the top that gives it just that little extra flavor. Chorizo adds saltiness and spice, but it is mellowed out by the cream cheese. The filling is simple, but the flavors are bold, it keeps you coming back for more. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Chorizo Filling

·         3 links Chorizo, casing removed

·         12oz softened Cream Cheese

Cook the Chorizo in a sauté pan until cooked through, roughly 7 minutes. (Try to break sausage up as much as possible because it easier to pipe into pretzel when sausage is in small pieces.

Once cooked, drain off grease and add to softened cream cheese, stir to combine. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag with a large tip (the larger the tip, the easier to pipe)

Pretzel Bread

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 tablespoons (unsalted) butter - melted
•  1 1/8 teaspoons of active dry yeast – I used 1 packet
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white bread flour
• 3 cups regular white/all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For Cooking Pretzels

• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• Water
• Kosher salt, to taste

PREPARING THE DOUGH

Put ½ a cup of boiling water in a large mixing bowl and add the melted butter, stirring to combine, let cool slightly. In the meantime, sprinkle yeast on 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve and then add the butter/water mixture.

Add the sugar & salt, and stir to dissolve; add flour and using a wooden spoon or hand-held dough mixer bring mixture together till combined. The dough is ready when it is evenly combined without any dry patches.

Knead dough until smooth and elastic and then let rise at least 1/2 hour. The dough should increase in size

Prepare a clean surface and lightly dust with flour. Turn the dough out and gently knead, then gather into a smooth ball.

Cut the dough in 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope and cut each rope in 8 even pieces; roll into a ball, place on a sheet and let rise another 20 minutes

TO BOIL PRETZELS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. When you’re ready to make the pretzels, bring 2 cups of water to the boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda and then stir.

Drop the balls into the boiling water (in batches, do not want to overcrowd) and boil until puffed and slightly shiny, about 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack with a slotted spoon, to drain. Repeat for all the others.

To Fill Balls

After the balls have drained take pastry bag with chorizo filling and

poke into the middle of the ball and fill; pinch edges so the filling is completely covered with dough; place pinched side down on tray

Sprinkle with salt and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Balls

I would say it’s been entirely too long since I have last posted a ball recipe and it is about time that I debut a dessert ball. I have briefly experimented with a brownie ball but have yet to perfect the recipe, but I don’t think you will be disappointed with this one. There is just something so perfect about warm apple pie, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream; it screams comfort. With that being said, why not take those traditional flavors and put them into a ball. I added some cream cheese which give it a bit of a cheesecake feel and rolled the filled crescent rolls in a cinnamon sugar mixture to add a little something extra. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did.

8oz Cream Cheese at room temperature

3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

1Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Granny Smith Apples – Peeled and diced

Zest from ½ Lemon

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

1 Sheet Pillsbury Crescent Roll or 1 Sheet premade frozen Pie Dough (thawed)

                                                                       

Cinnamon/Sugar

½ Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cinnamon together until smooth. Add diced apples, lemon juice and zest and mix well. Place mixture in refrigerator for at least an hour to firm up.

Cut Crescent Roll or Pie Crust into 16 squares and place about1 Tablespoon of filling in the middle of each. Fold the edges together and roll into a ball so no filling is falling out. Roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream and Warm Caramel Sauce

Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Yogurt Slaw

The weather has been unseasonably warm and sunny, and with that comes the desire to eat fresh food and drink cold beer. After months of eating comfort food, yes it is fantastic but not always great for the waistline, I wanted to make something light and refreshing. Tacos make me think of summer, and shrimp works as a nice alternative for ground beef. The goal was to create layers of flavor so I started with a soft flour tortilla spread with fresh guacamole, topped with spicy shrimp, creamy slaw, fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.  It was an explosion of flavor that is light and refreshing and will have you coming back for more.

Guacamole

2 Avocados

1 clove garlic - Chopped

1 Small Tomato - Chopped

2 Tbsp. Cilantro - Chopped

3 Tbsp. Red Onion – Chopped Finely

1 Jalapeno – Diced (remove seeds if you don’t want it spicy)

Juice of ½ Lime

Salt to taste

Smash avocado and add all ingredients, mix. Salt to taste and let rest in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes

Shrimp (1lb)

1 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Paprika

1 dash Cayenne

½ teaspoon salt

Add spices to shrimp and coat. Sautee in pan until pink, about 5-7 minutes

Chipotle Yogurt Slaw

4 Cups Coleslaw Mix

1/4 Red Onion sliced thin

1/4 Cup Cilantro Chopped or torn

1/2 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp. Mayo

2 Chipotles Chopped

2 tsp. Adobo sauce

Add sliced onion and cilantro to a bowl, add yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotles, adobo, and salt, mix and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Flour tortillas

Garnishes

Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Fresh Lime slices

Chopped Tomatoes

Bake tortillas in a 350 degree oven wrapped in a towel with a splash of water for 10-15 minutes

Layer tortilla with guacamole, shrimp, slaw and garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice

50 Things to Eat and Drink in Cleveland - Spicy Bloody Mary @ Gasoline Alley

So the Plain Dealer, yes the Cleveland Newspaper, did a great story a few weeks back on the top 50

 things to eat and drink in Cleveland.  I know I know, some of you may be thinking, what is there to eat and drink in Cleveland, but Cleveland really is becoming a city full of great restaurants, opened by great chefs. We have our own Michael Symon, Iron Chef and host of the Chew who owns Lola, Lolita and my personal favorite, the B Spot. There is the Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat, owned by Jonathan Sawyer a competitor on Iron Chef.  There are great restaurants that focus on locally sourced ingredients like Crop which has re-opened in Ohio City, and we have great Gastro pubs like Deagons in Lakewook and Tremont Tap House. Then of course there are the great bars, Prosperity Social Club and Velvet Tango Room, but I digress because this could go on for a while. But back to the original reason for writing this, the article got me thinking... in all of my spare time I should go around and try all of these great things in Cleveland. I am going to frank, it is not going to happen, I won’t try them all, but I will do my best. I am also hoping to share of my favorites that did not make the list and hopefully get you to explore all the great food that Cleveland has to offer.

Spicy Bloody Mary – Gasoline Alley

So Gasoline Alley is a bit of a hidden gem, ok dive, in Bath Ohio, yes home of Lebron James, but please don’t hold that against this great joint. They have great Reuben sandwiches that stand a good 8 inches tall, full of house made corned beef and of course, the pizzas, full of fresh ingredients and layers of perfectly melted mozzarella cheese. Now this is a place we go to a couple times a month, you know a staple, but I never had one of their, now famous, spicy bloody mary’s, and after having one, I have no clue why it took me so long. There is the perfect amount of spice, horseradish and pepper, maybe a splash of Tobasco, but what makes it really special is the amount of “stuff” they put in it… Celery, olives, pickle, cucumber, tomatoes, and yes, a piece of shrimp cocktail;, it is practically a salad in a glass, a delicious salad in a glass. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself, you won’t be upset, and while you are there make sure to try one of their gigantic sandwiches, and just so you don’t forget, the Reuben is the best!