Saturday, December 18, 2010

Winter squash soup with cinnamon cream: warms body and soul!

Well, my friends, winter has arrived! In San Francisco that means cold rain, but I'll take that over frigid blustery NY snow any day! On a chilly December day what's better to warm the body and soul than cozying up to a nice creamy (without the cream) bowl of squash soup? (well, maybe a bubbly pot of cheese fondue...but this runs a close second!)

Loaded with beta carotene, winter squash is the low-calorie high-fiber good-for-you base for this soup. The addition of potatoes adds a bit more substance and when pureed lends a nice silky creamy texture, without the addition of any dairy products. I was inspired to make this soup from a recipe I found in one of my French cookbooks I bought last time I was in Paris. While I had to do a little work to translate the quantities and directions (why can't we use the metric system in the US!? it would make life so much easier!), this soup turned out perfectly. Just ask my friends with whom I shared this meal. Miam miam!! (yum yum in French) :)



Bon appetit!


What I Used for Inspiration:

Winter squash
Potatoes


Winter Squash Soup with Cinnamon Cream

(Soupe au potiron et creme a la cannelle)

Serves 4 as a main dish


For the soup:


1 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 lb butternut squash, cut in cubes
2 medium potatoes, cut in cubes
2 C water
1 1/2 C vegetable stock
1 2" piece of orange zest


For the cinnamon cream:


1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute the onion and garlic until transparent. Add the spices and toast in the oil until they release their aroma. Add the cubes of squash and potatoes, water, vegetable stock, and orange zest. Liquid should cover the vegetables--if it does not, add some more broth or water. Bring to a boil; lower the fire, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the heavy cream and cinnamon with an electric mixer until stiff peaks are formed (or whisk by hand--it doesn't take that much work and is kind of fun!). Set aside.

Puree the soup either in a blender or in the pot itself with a submersible blender (one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!)

You can make the soup ahead of time and store in refrigerator or freezer, but be sure to re-heat thoroughly before serving. Top with a nice dollop of cinnamon cream and enjoy!




Winter squash soup with cinnamon cream

Friday, November 5, 2010

Reduced Guilt Carrot Cupcakes

Let's face it: no one likes a low-fat baked good that tastes like cardboard. So when I set out to make these cupcakes as a thank-you to the people at Good Guide (with whom I interned for a few weeks--you can read more about my experience here) I had to make something delicious yet relatively healthy--gotta impress people, afterall! In an effort to make these cupcakes healthier without sacrificing flavor in the slightest, I employed a few tricks of the trade.

For most cake recipes you can use the following tips with amazingly good results!

--replace some of the white flour with whole wheat flour (ideally ww pastry flour)
--replace half of the oil or melted butter with unsweetened applesauce (will not work if the recipe calls for softened or cold butter)
--cut the sugar by a third (you most likely won't notice a difference at all!)

And for the classic cream cheese frosting:

--low-fat cream cheese (aka neufchatel--damn those French!) tastes just as good as the full-fat version, but with 1/3 less fat and way less calories--a win-win for everyone!



This following recipes are based on those found in The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Reduced Guilt Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (frosting recipe follows)


1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour (ww pastry flour is preferred)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
3/4 C vegetable oil
3/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1 lb carrots, grated


Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" cake pan with non-stick spray (or line cupcake pan with liners). Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl until frothy and the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly add the oil and applesauce until the mixture is thoroughly combined and emulsified, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the carrots.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan (or cupcake liners) and smooth the top. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Cupcakes will take about 15-18 minutes depending on your oven.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Low-fat cream cheese is one of those rare dairy products that I think tastes just as good as the full-fat version. So go right ahead and swap out regular cream cheese for the low-fat one, called neufchatel cream cheese. Your love handles will love you for it!!

To make a silky smooth frosting, it is super important to let the cream cheese and butter sit out at room temperature or about an hour. If either ingredients are even slightly cold, they will make a lumpy frosting.

Reduced Guilt Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces neufchatel (low fat) cream cheese, softened
4 T unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 C powdered sugar


Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.


When the cake/cupcakes are thoroughly cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting and enjoy this classic combination!!


These are the special Good Guide-approved "perfect 10" cupcakes I made--so fun and totally delicious!! :)


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Thank God for Leftovers

The last post referenced the fantastic monthly family dinners my friends and I have been putting on--such a great time of yummy food, storytelling, and laughing!

The fabby Miss Abbey hosted this last time and prepared a delicious squash risotto--she was concerned because the texture was more dense than she had wanted, but I didn't care--the flavor was fantastic! So delicious, in fact, that I was happy she had made a huge recipe--I got to take home some leftovers :) My other friend Michael brought a incredibly delish Asian-inspired cole slaw that I will most certainly enjoy later this week.

Abbey gave me a big container of the risotto, and my brain started churning. I remember my mom taking left-over rice and mixing in egg, bread crumbs, veggies, and herbs and making some version of rice croquettes (basically fried balls or patties of rice). I stared at the risotto in the container and thought, oh yeah that's gonna be good. After surveying my fridge I ending up throwing in a bunch of things that needed to be used up (in true Frugal Foodie fashion)--and made some delicious Risotto Croquettes.

I was also inspired by a cucumber in my fridge that had been in there for far too long to admit to...and some radishes that I had been meaning to eat for a long time as well. In my run of frugality, I turned those items into a delicious Cucumber Radish Salad with Creamy Yogurt-Dill Dressing.




What I Used For Inspiration:

For the croquettes:
Leftover Risotto
Mushrooms

For the salad:
Cucumber
Radishes
Greek yogurt


Risotto Croquettes

3 C leftover risotto (or equal amount cooked rice)
10 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 T dried parsley (or 1/4 C fresh minced)
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying


In a pan, saute the mushrooms and garlic until soft (throw in some onion if you want, too!). In a bowl mix the risotto, mushroom and garlic with an egg, parm cheese, salt and pepper. The mixture should be firm enough to form into a patty and hold its shape. If it's too loose, add some breadcrumbs.

In a frying pan heat up some olive oil. Divide the rice mixture into small balls and flatten them out into patties. Fry on medium heat until nicely browned on both sides. Serve immediately.



Cucumber Radish Salad with Creamy Yogurt-Dill Dressing

1 English cucumber
6-8 large radishes
1/2 C plain greek yogurt
1 T mayonnaise or sour cream (optional)
2 tsp dried dill
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


With a food processor (using shredding attachment) or box grater, grate cucumber and radishes. Put in strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Finely mince or grate garlic using a microplane and put into bowl. Mix together with yogurt, mayo (or sour cream), and lemon juice. Add drained cucumber/radish and season with salt and pepper to taste.




This combination actually made for a pretty satisfying meal! The contrast between the warm crispy rice croquette and the cool, creamy cucumber salad was quite delicious. While the radishes don't impart a very strong flavor to the dish, the little specs of red make the salad look beautiful. A little creativity goes a long way in my kitchen! I hope this inspires you to take a second look at and revamp those left-overs instead of (God forbid!) throwing them out.





Vegan Chocolate Deliciousness

My friends and I have come up with a brilliant idea--we are all super busy working professionals or students...or both for the unfortunate of ones of us...yet we've committed to having a family dinner once a month, rotating at whose house the dinner will be prepared. It's a fantastic idea to sample each other's unique twists on the cuisines of the world and of course to catch up and have at least one relaxing evening per month :)

I must be pinned as the dessert lady because every time I'm asked to provide something sweet. This past Saturday's meal was no exception--however I was so busy during the day that I had less than an hour to make something--EEK, right?! Nope, I knew exactly what I was going to prepare--it's quick (5 minutes to make, 25 minutes to bake), easy (uses ingredients most everyone would have in their pantry), and absolutely delicious--so moist and chocolately with the perfect amount of sweetness!

Don't be scared by the name, now :) Try it once and I promise you you'll never make a regular cake (or a box mix..eeeew) again.




Deep Chocolate Vegan Cake
(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cold water or chilled brewed coffee (or chilled espresso diluted with water)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cider vinegar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil an 8-inch square or round baking pan and dust with a little sifted cocoa, or line the bottom with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. In another bowl, combine the oil, water or coffee, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth. Add the vinegar and stir briefly. The baking soda will begin to react with the vinegar right away, leaving pale swirls in the batter. Quickly pour the batter into the baking pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

**You can very easily use the batter to make cupcakes. Just reduce the baking time to 12-15 minutes**

The cake is so delicious on its own, but feel free to top with homemade frosting or serve with (homemade) ice cream as we did :)



Friday, September 3, 2010

Chimichurri to the rescue!

Chimichurri sauce, some say, is credited to the Argentinians. Venezuelans may argue it's their brilliance, however Mexicans try to steal the glory and claim it originates from their homeland. Personally I don't care who first thought of combining herbs like cilantro and parsley with lime (or lemon), olive oil, and vinegar. This incredibly zesty condiment is pretty darned GOOD and has made several appearances in my kitchen of late!


Photo credit: laylita.com



I made some of this deliciousness the other week by blending left-over cilantro, parsley, salt, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice until smooth--a great way to use up herbs that are looking kinda sad!

Here's the basic recipe I used as a guideline:

Chimichurri Sauce
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
6 large cloves garlic, chopped


Chimichurri is most commonly served on top of grilled meat or fish. I used some of it to adorn a delicious steak I had cooked for dinner one night, but after about a week in the fridge, there was still a lot of sauce leftover. Of course I couldn't bear the thought of throwing it out, so as I was thinking of what to do, I came up with a brilliant idea--if it goes well on top of meat, why not inside! Voila: Nina's Chimichurri Burger was born! I decided to use lean ground turkey breast, as it's high in protein and very low in fat (99% fat free).


Chimichurri Turkey Burgers


3/4 C chimichurri sauce (save about 2 T and mix into greek yogurt or mayonnaise for a tasty condiment!)
1 20-oz package ground turkey breast (can use chicken or lean beef instead)


To make the burgers, simply mix the chimichurri sauce into the meat and let it rest for at least a few hours (preferably overnight) in the fridge so the flavors can meld. No need to add extra salt, as the flavor of the sauce is perfectly seasoned. Remove from fridge, form into 4-oz patties and cook on a grill or stove. These burgers are incredibly juicy and flavorful, I was pleasantly surprised!

I suggest serving on a nice hearty (multi-grain if available) toasted bun topped with lettuce, a thick slice of sun-ripened heirloom tomato, and some of that chimichurri mayo/greek yogurt!





Now THAT'S a burger!!!



Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Pass the Prego! Non grazie.

I don't think I will never understand why the most popular brand of "tomato sauce" (in quotations for added effect) in America is called "you're welcome" in Italian--which is what "Prego" means. To me, it should be called "Non, grazie--no, thank you!" This "tomato sauce," in my humble opinion, is a travesty to authentic Italian cooking--it's the Olive Garden version of neighborhood trattorias lining the streets of Florence, it's the Wonder bread of artisanal Parisian baguette--simply put, a mere carcass (by look and taste), a shadow, of what it could be, what is should be. I admit I'm terribly spoiled, having been raised on homemade tomato sauce usually made from homegrown tomatoes. But I did have to eat Prego once in my life, and I will never forget the horrible taste of that pasty, disgustingly sweet (why do they insist on adding high fructose corn syrup?!), unnaturally thick, absolutely wretched red goo clinging to my pasta. It was simply unworthy of my tastebuds.


Yes, I'm a food snob.


Don't hate. Appreciate.


The top two reasons why people insist on buying jarred sauce are because "it takes too long to make" and "it's too difficult." What a misconception! For in a mere 15 minutes (the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta--or order and wait for delivery if you're that kind of person) and with four easy to find ingredients, you can be well on your way to naturally sweet, tangy goodness that will make your pasta sing! And heck, why not bust out with your own aria or two--or just leave it up to Pavarotti. And of course, if you have the time, there simply is nothing like a pot of tomato love that has simmered for 3 hours--the rich flavor of slow cooking just cannot be synthesized in 30 minutes (take that, Rachael Ray!).

I admit I do on occasion buy jarred pasta sauce, especially when tomatoes are out of season. And I am known to bring back 6 jars of my favorite over-priced sauce from a little store in Manhattan each time I go to visit--shameful, I know. But lucky for me, tomatoes are in season at my farmers market and the extra ripe ones were on clearance! Can't beat this deal---a big pot of organic sauce for $5! You can thank me later ("Grazie, Nina!"), and I'll be sure to respond with an enthusiastic "Prego!"



Grazie! (a more suitable name for authentic Tomato Sauce)



What I Used For Inspiration:

Extra ripe tomatoes from the market ($1/lb!!)
Basil that was about to go bye-bye





Ingredients: (makes a LARGE pot of sauce--feel free to scale down)

2 large onions
6-8 cloves of garlic (or 2 cloves of elephant garlic)
5 lbs tomatoes
1 C packed fresh basil





Check out this elephant garlic I bought!! One clove was like 4 times the size of my thumb nail! (and surprisingly not pungent--don't think I'll buy again)







Directions:

Roughly chop onions and garlic--they'll be pureed later. In a large sauce pot, heat up some olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook on medium-low heat until softened.





Roughly chop the tomatoes and basil, and add to the pot! What beautiful colors!






Cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (or if you have the time, cook for a few hours on low heat--Nonna was right, it does make a difference)







When the tomatoes are sufficiently squishy...time to blend!







One of the best things God invented was the hand-held stick blender. Of course you can blend in a normal blender, but this is WAY more fun--you can blend liquids right in the pot without dirtying another dish!







Once thoroughly blended, season to taste with salt and pepper. Because most of my tomatoes were the yellow variety, my sauce has a pretty orange color and tastes more mild than if I had used all red tomatoes. And as a side note, because of the more mild flavor it could totally pass as tomato soup. HA!





Buon appetito!!


Broccoflower puree!

Once upon a time I was a nanny for a very wealthy family in NYC. I learned a lot of things during those nine long months...a lot...and that's where my story will end.

This is a twist on something I used to make for the family because the husband I worked for was on a low-carb diet. I have to admit I was skeptical at first, but it is quite good--extremely simple yet incredibly satisfying! I remember reading in his low-carb cookbook about "faux mashed potatoes" which is essentially pureed steamed cauliflower. With its look and texture similar to mashed potatoes, it seemed to satisfy his craving for the carby goodness while being virtually calorie-free and packed with vitamins and fiber.

I made this several times with just cauliflower and thought it was kind of bland. So realizing broccoli was part of the same family, I thought let's throw some of that in and see what happens! I'm glad I did--the flavor is more distinct and now it's even more nutritious.


Broccoflower puree

Ingredients:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Butter (optional)

In a large pot or steamer, steam broccoli and cauliflower florets and whole peeled cloves of garlic (as many as your heart desires!) until the vegetables are soft. Puree all together in a food processor until smooth and season with salt and pepper. For added decadence, throw in some olive oil or butter, although I find the puree perfectly satisfying as is! And at 25 calories/half-cup it's an extremely fiberlicious low-calorie accompaniment to your meal.



Looks strange, tastes great! :)





Sunday, July 25, 2010

Stewing Up A Storm!


What I Used for Inspiration:

Half-empty bottle of red wine
Frozen beef that was on the verge of getting funk-ay
Mini potatoes




This weekend I definitely "stewed" up a storm in my kitchen--I decided to clean out my freezer and any odd bits from my fridge to make space for new groceries. I made one dish with chicken, spinach, and this "brown rice on steroids" called Wehani--it's seriously the most delicious brown rice I have tasted!! Highly recommend.

But the piece de resistance was the beef stew (a la boeuf bourguignon) that I made last minute and tasted deeee-licious! The beef tenderloin I had in my freezer (that had been there for too long to admit haha) and the half-empty bottle of red wine sitting on my counter (for also too long to admit) were screaming at me-- "beef stew!! beef stew!!" What, doesn't your food talk to you!? I luckily had a bag of mini red potatoes that needed to be cooked as well as onions, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes I had just purchased at the market, and chicken broth I had just made from leftover rotisserie chicken bits--the making of a grand pot of beefy goodness.


Beef Stew Frenchy Style :)


Ingredients:

1/2 bottle red wine + 2 C chicken broth (or one whole bottle of wine if you're so inclined)
1 lb beef (roast, tenderloin, whatever you have) cut into 1" cubes
2 small or 1 large onion, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, sliced in half
1/2 lb baby carrots (or large carrots cut into chunks)
8-12 oz baby potatoes (or large potato cut into cubes)
1 pt cherry tomatoes (or one small can canned tomatoes or large tomato cut into chunks)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary




Why yes, I most definitely bought the wine because of the big yellow smiley on the bottle. I'm a sucker to the marketing machine :) (but it did taste good!)




In a large pot (thank God for my Le Creuset!), saute the onions and garlic until soft; add carrots





Add the cubes of beef and then the potatoes and tomatoes. Sprinkle in the dried rosemary.







Now comes the fun part: pour in the chicken broth and/or red wine





Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour. Remove cover and check consistency of the stew:

If the stew is very liquidy: Let simmer for another hour uncovered.

If the stew is slightly thick, keep covered and simmer for another hour, making sure there's enough liquid so it doesn't burn.

In the end, the stew should be fairly thick and the meat fork-tender.





Dish up a hearty serving of this one-pot meal, serve with some crusty baguette and a stiff glass of wine and be ready to savor one heck of a dinner! (although it tastes even better the next day)




Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Blueberry Bran Muffins: delicious and fiberlicious!!

What I Used for Inspiration:

2 near-empty boxes of seriously stale cereal


I've had two near-empty boxes of cereal sitting in my pantry for a loooooong time (cheerio-esque and ode to raisin bran). I absolutely hate throwing food out (duh!), so I kept holding onto them until I had inspiration to turn them into something delicious! Today was the day--I remember my mom making some bran muffins from bran cereal, so I thought ok let's try something similar with what I have!

After a quick search online, I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did! These muffins are low in fat, full of fiber, have just the right amount of sweetness, and are just plain yummy!


Blueberry Bran Muffins

*recipe adapted from the Cheerios Muffins available at www.mrbreakfast.com

yield: 12 muffins

2 cup Cheerios or similar cereal

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup apple sauce

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

3 T vegetable or canola oil

1 cup fresh blueberries or 1/2 cup raisins

Prehet oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare 12 muffin cups with paper lining or grease.


Using a food processor, grind the Cheerios (or other cereal) into a powder.




In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Cheerios, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda.



Stir in the applesauce, milk, egg, and oil until the mixture is moistened.




Gently stir in the blueberries. Mmmm blueberries...




Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and bake about 15 minutes until golden brown. Use the toothpick test to see if they're done. A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean if they're finished. If batter sticks to the toothpick, give it another few minutes.

Ready to go into the oven!



YUMMY!!!





Sunday, July 11, 2010

It's cool to make some coulis!

What I Used for Inspiration:

Strawberries on the fritz



I made the mistake of not refrigerating the strawberries I bought yesterday at the market (and to make matters worse they were suffocating in a plastic bag! horrors!)--this morning they were definitely on their last leg! There's no way I was going to throw them out, so instead I made a puree the French call coulis (say cool-ee). Coulis is basically a strained puree of fruit, traditionally made with berries. It's great to use as a topping for yogurt or ice cream, and can also go on top of cake (angel food, anyone?) or I suppose can be the base for making homemade jam (which is a lot easier to make than you'd think!)

In any event, I turned my berries-gone-wild into this delicious culinary canvas. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to give this a try! It's more of a technique than a recipe, so below are the step-by step photos.


Coulis aux fraises (Strawberry Coulis)



My berries don't look so bad in this photo, but trust me, they were on the verge of fermentation! haha



Instead of using the stove, I harnessed the power of microwave energy






After about 3 minutes in the microwave oven, the berries were nice and squishy. Be careful when you cook them--they have a tendency to boil over in the microwave and make a mess!




Next step is to pass them through a strainer...




....and squish the pulp! (it's good exercise, I swear!) The seeds and any other tough bits will be left in the strainer, the yummy pulp and juice ends up in the bowl.




Mmmmm pulp



All that should be left in the strainer is a bunch of insoluble fiber bits and seeds--ready for the compost bin!




What's remaining in the bowl is a smooth, semi-viscous puree of strawberry goodness. As the coulis cools off, the natural pectin from the fruit will thicken the liquid.




Berry coulis is a perfect naturally sweet topping for yogurt, ice cream, or cake. Enjoy!!




Saturday, July 10, 2010

Baked Goat cheese-stuffed Chicken with Pesto Risotto


What I used for inspiration:

Chicken breast in my freezer

Rice in my pantry

Herbed goat cheese

Mushrooms that were about to go funky

Chicken broth leftover from the pesto

Pesto from yesterday








As I was looking at the pesto and the chicken I thought, hmmm let's do that combo. And then I had an epiphany--if pesto goes with pasta, why not rice! And then the goat cheese said to me, stuff me inside of the chicken! (yes, my food speaks to me) So there you go!


I present to you:


Baked Goat cheese-stuffed Chicken with Pesto Risotto



For the risotto:

1 T olive oil

8 button mushrooms, quartered (I used baby portabella aka cremini)

1 C rice (I used arborio, the kind traditionally used to make risotto)

4 C (1 whole container) chicken stock

Dried parsley and garlic

1/4 C homemade pesto



For the chicken:

1 large or two small chicken breasts

2 oz herbed goat cheese


In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil and and then add the mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes, and then add some dried parsley and garlic for good measure, and then the rice.







While that's getting happy, prepare the chicken breast. The piece of chicken I had was pretty large, so I cut it in half and then sliced each piece almost all the way through, making a nice pocket in which to stuff the herbed goat cheese. Set aside.





When the rice is coated in the oil and a little bit toasty (takes a few minutes), add all of the chicken stock. Let simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes. It should still be pretty crunchy (it'll finish cooking in the oven) and look something like this:




Then add about 1/4 C of the pesto--it gives the rice a subtle green color and of course adds a ton of flavor!




I decided to finish cooking the rice in the oven while baking the chicken, so pour the rice into a baking dish and place stuffed chicken on top




Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.






To round out the meal, I lightly steamed some French green beans called haricots verts





What a beautiful dish! Looks great, tastes even better!!

Bon appetit!!