Roasted Grape Risotto With Hazelnuts And La Tur Cheese Recipes

BAKED RISOTTO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Roast the vegetables on a single baking sheet/tray on the top rack of the oven {the risotto will bake on the bottom rack}.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Stir in the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated, 1 minute more. Stir in 2 cups/480 ml of the hot water, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake on the bottom rack during the last 25 minutes of roasting time for the vegetables. After 25 minutes, check the risotto. Most of the liquid should be absorbed and the rice just cooked.
• Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in another 1/2 cup/120 ml hot cups of water, and the butter and cheese.
• Serve topped with roasted vegetables with thin shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

MUSHROOM AND SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cut asparagus just below the tips, then on an angle at 1/4-inch intervals, discarding the woody part at the bottom. Set aside.
• Bring water to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Keep on a low simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, add another 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and let brown slightly until nutty. Add the shallot to the pot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir so that it is coated with the butter and glossy, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the vermouth and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is absorbed by the rice. Add the thyme springs. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of the simmering water and stir constantly, until the rice again absorbs the liquid, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue ladling in about 1/2 cup of water at a time, stirring between additions and letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more.
• When rice has absorbed about half the water (about 10 minutes into cooking process), stir in lemon zest. Continue stirring and adding water, 5 minutes more. Add asparagus. When rice is tender but al dente, after 20 or so minutes of cooking time, stop adding water. Vigorously beat in the remaining butter and cheese. Add the mushrooms, peas and lemon juice and stir just until heated through. Remove from heat. Let risotto rest for a minute or so before serving. Divide among 4 warm bowls, grind a generous amount of pepper over each, and serve.

HEALTHY FARRO SALAD WITH AUTUMN GREENS AND ROASTED GRAPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack in the upper and lower thirds.
• In a medium saucepan, combine farro and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a bowl.
• Meanwhile, combine grapes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper on a baking sheet. Place red onion slices on a separate baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Flip slices and drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer baking sheet with onions on the bottom rack of oven and baking sheet with grapes to top rack. Roast, flipping onions every 15 minutes, until onions are golden brown and grapes have burst, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer roasted grapes and onions to bowl with farro. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well to combine and let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Immediately before serving, gently toss in greens. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Transfer to a platter, top with goat cheese, if desired, and serve.

BEET SALAD WITH BOMBOLINO

Steps:

• For the starter: Heat the milk up slightly so that it is just warm to the touch and pour into a bowl.
• Dissolve the yeast in the milk and then mix in the flour. The dough will be quite thick.
• Cover the bowl with plastic and let it sit in at room temperature for about an hour.
• For the dough: Scrape the starter dough in the bowl of a mixer.
• Add the eggs, butter, sugar, salt and flour and mix with your hands or spatula until the ingredients are loosely incorporated. This is messy and again the dough will be rather thick.
• Mix on low with the paddle attachment until the dough is silky and shiny. This will take at least 5 to 7 minutes and you will need to scrape down the bowl several times at first.
• Scrape the dough off the paddle attachment and form into a rough ball inside the mixer bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic and let sit for an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough.
• For the bombolino: With slightly floured fingers, using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dough, flatten the dough into a small disk about 1/4-inch thick.
• Place about 1 teaspoon of the cheese in the center and wrap the dough around the cheese. Pinch the dough together so that it sticks together and then roll the dough into a small ball. It is very important to make sure the dough is seamless, so that when it cooks no melted cheese escapes. Repeat until you have as many bombolino as you have salads. You will have excess dough.
• Heat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F, or heat up 2 inches of oil in a high-sided heavy-bottomed pan. Make sure the oil does not come up past the half way point of the pan.
• Frying bombolino, only a few at a time for about 2 to 4 minutes, until golden brown all the way around. You might have to turn them over as they do tend to float.
• Drain on a paper towel and eat while warm.
• For the almond butter: Place almonds and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth, scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil as needed. Be very careful about how much oil to add as the almonds will get smoother the more they are processed. Use only as much as needed to achieve a smooth but thick almond paste.
• Season with cayenne pepper and salt, to taste.
• Place in a container. Will last refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reseason as needed.
• For the beet salad: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim tops and tails of beets and wash.
• Place in roasting pan and add enough water to pan so that it reaches half up the side of the beets. Cover with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven. Check doneness after about 45 minutes. If a pairing knife is able to penetrate the beet very easily, the beets are cooked. Check a few to make sure. If they not ready, recover with foil and place back in oven. Check in 15 minute increments.
• Remove from oven and remove foil. Let them sit until they reach room temperature. Do not discard the water.
• Using a kitchen towel (that you are not afraid to get really messy), peel the skin off the beets. The skin should wipe off very easily. To get off any little pieces of skin you might have missed, rinse in the water they were cooked in. Once all the beets are peeled, discard skins and the water they were cooked in.
• Cut beets in quarters or thirds, depending on their size and your preference.
• Mix gingerly with shallots, chives, oil and vinegar.
• To plate: Smooth about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the almond butter on the plate. Place about 1/2 cup of the beet salad onto the almond butter. Place a freshly fried bombolino on top of the beets and season with a touch of fleur de sel.