Tomato Chutney Risotto

Tomato Chutney Risotto
adapted from Pham Fatale

Ingredients:
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek (green-part only), thinly sliced
2 cups long-grained rice
4 cups vegetable stock, warm
1 cup tomato chutney (recipe here)
1 Tbs. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
1 Tbs. curly parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions:
1. In a pot, heat oil on medium-high heat, and saute until golden (30 secs). Add leeks and stir until light golden. Add rice, completely coat all grains in oil.
2. Add 2 cups vegetable stock, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Then change to medium-low heat cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add 2/3 cups chutney and the remaining 2 cups of stock. Cover, and simmer for another 25 minutes.
4. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of chutney, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, garnish with sun-dried tomatoes, and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney
from Cup of Sugar/Pinch of Salt

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 bay leaves
pinch of cloves (ground)
pinch of cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
salt and pepper
5 large tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. sugar
pinch of nutmeg

Instructions:
1. Heat oil on medium heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add bay leaves, cloves, and cinnamon to the pan. Then add garlic and saute until fragrant (30 secs), then add onion, garlic, and black pepper and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add tomatoes, sugar, and some more salt to the mixture, stir to combine, and cover for 5 mintues.
3. Take the lid off, cook for another 5 minutes stirring occassionally.
4. Remove bay leaves, pour the mixture into a blender, add the pinch of nutmeg, and blend until mostly smooth.

Curried Deviled Eggs

Many kinds of delicious. Definitely an improvement on a classic.

Curried Deviled Eggs
from Cup of Sugar/Pinch of Salt

Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut length-wise
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbs. dijon mustard
2 tsp curry powder
pepper
tomato chutney (recipe here)

Instructions:
1. Gently remove the cooked egg yolks and place in a mixing bowl. Mash with the backside of a fork until no large lumps remain.
2. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, curry powder, and pepper in the bowl, and mash the ingredients together with the back of the fork until even consistency.
3. Spoon the filling back into the egg white shells until all the mixture is used up.
4. Garnish each egg with a generous dollop of chutney, and serve.

Rosemary Garlic Croutons

Rosemary Garlic Croutons

Ingredients:
1 baguette
olive oil
1 spring fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the broiler.
2. Slice the baguette into 1" rounds. Brush each side with generous amounts of olive oil, and arrange on a baking sheet.
3. Broil for 2 minutes, flip the pieces, and broil for 2 more.
4. Chop the baguette into cubes, put into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle 2 Tbs. or so of olive oil over, and gently stir with hands until the olive oil is evenly distributed.
5. Add rosemary leaves, garlic, and salt and pepper to croutons, and mix gently with hands until evenly distributed.
6. Spread croutons out evenly over the baking sheet, broil for 2 minutes, put back into mixing bowl, stir with a stirring spoon, and then spread back evenly out on cookie pan and broil again for 2 minutes. Repeat this process until croutons have reached desired hardness.
7. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container, and use within the week.

Herbed Spinach Dip

Super fresh and light dip to go with chopped veggies, long and thin toasts, or can even be used as a salad dressing. It should be a little thicker than this picture shows, if spinach is properly drained : )

Herbed Spinach Dip
from Laura Sweets Pot

Ingredients:
10 oz. spinach (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, packed
1 Tbs. fresh dill
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped finely

Instructions:
1. If using frozen spinach, drain. If using fresh, make sure you pat down with a paper towel after rinsing (unless using ready-to-use spinach).
2. Add spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper into the food processor, and process until smooth.
3. Pour into a bowl, stir in bell pepper, and serve.

Goat Cheese and Gruyere Artichoke Toasts

Finally back in business! I've been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to cook or blog (also: I don't have internet at my apartment yet. I didn't realize how much I relied on the internet to inspire me for cooking, so I've not been interested in cooking lately, just eating salads with avocado and delicious salad dressing, but hopefully that will be fixed soon). So, once I get back to school and I get internet, watch out world!

Goat Cheese and Gruyere Artichoke Toasts
adapted from Laura Sweet Spot

Ingredients:
1 baguette
olive oil, for brushing (4 Tbs. or so)
2 oz. goat cheese
2 oz. grated gruyere cheese
3 Tbs. canned artichoke hearts, drained, chopped finely
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
ground black pepper, to taste
squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat broiler.
2. Slice baguette diagionally, and brush both sides of each slice with oil and arrange on baking sheet.
3. Place baking sheet in oven, broil for 1 - 2 minutes, turn each piece, and broil for 1 - 2 minutes more.
4. Combine goat cheese, Gruyere, artichokes, parsley, black pepper, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Make the mixture as consistent as possible.
5. Spoon desired amount of cheese mixture onto the toasts (about 2-3 Tbs.), spread evenly on each piece, and broil until cheese is golden and bubbly (2 - 3 minutes).
6. Serve warm.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

I finally got an outside picture! The great thing about summer is, even if you come home late, there's still sun AFTER you've finished cooking everything to take a decent picture (notice the shadows, though, it was still getting late : ) )

Usually I'm not a big fan of traditional-style pasta salads, or anything involving mayonnaise, really (though I did grow a taste for it in France. It's just plain better quality there). But I definitely recommend this pasta salad for ANY grilling event. I paired this with grilled black bean burgers that had Gates BBQ sauce (if you don't know about this, google it now and buy some online. Link provided) pus cheddar cheese, fresh lettuce and tomato toppings and diced watermelon. Add any seasonal summer beer and you're good to go. WA-BAM. Summer.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
from Tide and Thyme

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (elbow macaroni, spirlini, etc.)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
 2 cups milk, divided
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (I used Kraft Mayo with olive oil)
1 Tbs. brown sugar
4 scallions, sliced thinly (green part only)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, chopped finely
2 tsp. black pepper
1.5 Tbs. salt, divided

Instructions:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add 1 Tbs. salt and the pasta and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes.
2. While pasta is cooking, whisk together 1.5 cups milk, 1 cup mayo, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. black pepper
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add vinegar and toss until mostly absorbed.
4. Transfer pasta to a bowl with a lid and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in dressing, until pasta is completely coated and then cool completely.
5. Add scallions, carrot, celery, remaining 1/2 cup milk, and remaining 1/2 cup of mayo to pasta. stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cover and let sit at least an hour (I left mine over night and it was perfect the next day).