Crockpot Risotto - Saffron and Asparagus

by: Anne Haynes


 Risotto is always a recipe that takes time and skill. I remember making Saffron Risotto with Asparagus for friends in Los Gatos and it didn't turn out right. It was because I didn't prepare the rice properly.

If you forget to let the risotto heat up with butter and olive oil prior to adding chicken stock, the rice never forms properly [Big Tip].

 Tonight I decided to try the California Cafe in Los Gatos's Saffron and Asparagus Risotto recipe in a Crockpot. I lived on this dish when I was a food server at the restaurant and was running daily. It's hearty and full of vitamins when adding veggies of all types.


In this recipe I use Saffron and you don't need the saffron but it's a natural antioxidant. It contains carotenoids; zea-xanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotenes and these types of antioxidants protect the body from infections, cancers and toxin induced stress.

Saffron is expensive, but you only use a little bit, so if you can afford to buy it, use it with your risotto recipe it will support a healthy immune system.

My husband Mike and I just had our dinner and it's was not only good for us, but it was really easy to make in a crockpot.



This is what you will need:
1 Cup of Arborio Rice (aka Risotto)
3 Cups of chicken stock (preferred is low sodium)
1 Cup chicken stock (preferred is low sodium) - after cooked and before veggies
1/2 Cup of onions or shallots
2 Garlic cloves
4 sprigs of Saffron
1 TBL of butter
1 TBL of olive oil
1 cup of parmesan cheese (or similar cheese like parmesan reggiano cheese)
1 bag of frozen asparagus or bunch of fresh asparagus

This is how we do it:

In a small to medium size pan melt butter, olive oil, onions and garlic together for 1 minutes until you smell the yum yum.

Add 1 cup of the Arborio Rice to the pan and let it cook until translucent; 3 minutes max. I use this rice because it last for multiple meals and it's not prepackaged with herbs. I like using my own herbs.

Take the pan and place all the contents in the crockpot on high.

Add 3 cups on chicken stock and saffron, cover pot and let cook for 20-30 minutes, then stir. I went to the store and came back and it was perfect.

30-40 minutes later stir again and add veggies (asparagus), cheese and 1 cup of chicken stock and stir more.

If it's too dry as more stock and if it's too wet, let it cook more.

I was amazed tonight at how easy this was to make!! You will love how easy it is and how versatile it is with other veggies!

Check out the old fashion way of making this recipe here:
Saffron Asparagus Risotto

Enjoy!
Anne-

Croissants!

Here are the photos, more to come soon! It's a three day process and know it's all about folding the butter!

Veggie Pasta with Asparagus Leftovers

I'm working to get at least 5 servings of veggies in my diet and it starts with buying the veggies and being creative. I made asparagus last night for dinner and had leftovers, so I decided to dig through the veggie draw and mix up a veggie pasta tonight. The key to mixing fresh veggies with steamed veggies from the night before is all about timing.
What You Need:
-Olive Oil - 2 Tablespoons -Butter - 1 Tablespoon -Vermouth - 2 Tablespoons -Chicken Broth - 1 1/4 Cups -Garlic - 2 Cloves -Green Onions - One -Yellow Squash - One -Zucchini - One -Asparagus - half a bunch -Fettuccine - 10 ounces in the refrigerated section of your local store -Parsley - 1 Tablespoon -Parmesan Cheese - 1 Cup -Breadcrumbs - 2 Tablespoons -Pine Nuts - 2 Tablespoons -Salt - 1/2 teaspoon -Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Thinly slice up your veggies (left over steamed asparagus), mince garlic and green onion.
In a saute pan add olive oil, garlic, onions, half the parsley and let it simmer on medium heat. Once hot add Vermouth and heat for 1 minute.
Add Squash and Zucchini, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 minute.
Add butter stir and cover for 1 minute.
Add Chicken Broth.
Add Asparagus or other left over veggies.
Add cooked pasta and toss.
Once mixed, add half of the; Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and pine nuts. When serving use the rest of the cheese, breadcrumbs and pine nuts to each plate.
Veggie variations? Do you have some ideas? Leave comments with ideas!!

Veggie Chicken Barley Soup

This is a hybrid of two recipes and I'm too tired to tell which two. Since the Fall is in our presence, this is a great soup to start your Fall season. I will make this Veggie Chicken Barley Soup for the next two weeks. It freezes very well, but make sure, when you freeze the soup that it is completely cooled before you put it into the freezer.














What You Need to Buy:

Peanut Oil - 8 Tablespoons
Chicken Breast 2 Lbs.
Yellow Onion - 1 Large Size
Celery Bunch - Use 6 Stalks
Carrots - 4 peeled and chopped
Dried Thyme - 2 teaspoons
Bay Leaves - 2
Kosher Salt - 3 teaspoon
Pepper - 1 teaspoon
Paprika - 1-2 teaspoons
Chicken and/or Vegetable Stocks - 8 Cups - 2 (1 QT) containers
Parsley - 1/2 cup

1. In a large pot bring 1 quart of water to boil, add chicken breasts and 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt. We are poaching. Cook for a minimum of 15 minutes. Make sure the chicken breasts are cooked through. Test one breast by cutting through the middle and if it's pink, put it back in water. Make sure all breast look white in the middle before you take them out of the water.

2. Remove the chicken from the pot and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle the chicken chunks with 1 teaspoon of Paprika and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Pour the chicken water into a bowl to be used for later.

3. Don't clean the pot it's the left overs from the brown chicken that will add flavor. In the same large pot add 4 Tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and place on medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until tender, stir regularly.

4. Add 2 teaspoons of thyme, 2 bay leaves, teaspoon of kosher salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the veggies.

5. Return the the chicken chunks to the pot and add 8 cups of chicken/veggie stock and 1 cup of barley.

6. Add the chicken water and bring the ingredients to a boil, then simmer on low for an hour.

You don't need to remove the bay leaves, but the experts say to, so eat it or ditch it :)

Enjoy,
Loving the Fall in the Midwest!!!

Candied Pecans - Crunchy Spicy Sweet Pecans

I finally have candied pecans down to a science. These pecans are great in salads and if you dare to eat a handful, be careful because they are addicting. I don’t use a fryer because I generally don’t like fried foods, but if you own a fryer, you can manage the temperature of the oil better. The key to making the pecans crunching is to fry them for a minimum of 4 minutes. I use a timer to make sure every batch turns out perfect. The more you fry them the crunchier they are, I fry mine for 5 minutes

You will need:

Raw unsalted pecans
Powdered Sugar
Paprika
Salt
Vegetable oil (canola or peanut oil alternatives)
Foil
Paper towels

Boil a quart of water and bring to a boil. Add pecans and let cook for 5 minutes.

Drain pecans, place on foil and coat with powdered sugar.

With a metal slotted spoon place pecans in medium heat oil. The degrees should be 375 if you are using a fryer. Don't put too many pecans in at once because they won't cook evenly. I set a timer for 5 minutes.












After 4-5 minutes, place one layer of pecans on foil and sprinkle with Paprika and Salt. Let them dry for 5 minutes or until crunchy to touch. Because they are oily, I place them on paper towels to remove the excess oil. Keep doing this process until all pecans are cooked. The pecans will keep for 1-2 months.

Enjoy!

Dean and Deluca Garlic Roasted New Potato Salad

By: Anne Haynes For Dean & Deluca

I decided to try out the recipe because the Corporate Dean & Deluca Twitter representative sent me their awesome recipe for garlic potato salad. I have to take a moment and thank the Corporate Dean & Deluca representative for acknowledging my need for a BBQ recipe at my company function.

















I made the potato salad for Mother's Day and it was a hit. My family declared the potatos a must have at all family BBQ events. What I like about this recipe is the ability to use the garlic roasted potatos in the morning to compliment breakfast!

Following is the Dean & Deluca Garlic Roasted New Potatos Salad made in my home with my photos:

This is what the Garlic Roasted New Potato Salad looks like when finished.











First you need ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small new potatos, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 lemon, halved










1. In a large bowl, toss the potatos, olive oil, rosemary, two thirds of the garlic, and the salt and pepper until the garlic and oil are well distributed.












2. Spread the potatos in a single layer with the skin sides facing down. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place dish in oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown; shake pan after the first 20 minutes and again after 15 more minutes. Take potatos out of from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove potatoes from the pan with a metal spatula to avoid breaking the potatos and place them in a large bowl.










3. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, garlic and parsley. Squeeze the juice of the the lemon, making sure to remove seeds, into the mayonnaise.











4. Stir until it is smooth










5. Combine mayonnaise with the potatoes and serve. These potatos are good warm or room temperature.

Saffron Risotto with Asparagus

by: Anne Haynes

This is one of my favorite recipes. When I worked at California Cafe in Los Gatos. This was on our menu and I loved it so much that when we took it off the menu the Chef still made it for me!















Risotto is difficult to make because you spend most of your time stirring the rice when it's cooking. So make sure to measure all of your ingredience out before you start cooking.

Ingredience

- 1 lb asparagus trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 7-8 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped yellow onion
- 3 cups of Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 1 cup white wine at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
- 2 packets of Saffron
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper

Cut asparagus in 2 inch sections. Cut the asparagus at an angle.











Take your 8 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock and heat over medium heat until hot, then reduce the heat to low.

Parboil the asparagus in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking and place in a boil.











In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Saute for 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grain is well coated with oil. When done, the rice will be translucent with with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it's absorbed.












Add the warm stock a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until teh stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next ladelful. Add the salt, pepper and two packets of Saffron. Place 1/4 cup stock to add at the end.












When the rice is almost tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, about 18 minutes, add the asparagus, butter, cheese and 1/4 cup of stock. Remove from heat and stir.











With the Saffron this dish is expensive, to reduce your costs, you don't need Saffron. This will feed a group of 5 people as a meal and 10 people as a side dish.