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Fridge Friday: Porcini Mushroom Risotto

10/24/2014

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Found:  Some porcini mushrooms bought in optimism, about to go; apple juice
Risotto may seem like it takes a long time to make, but to me, it's really not, and any time spent making this dish will reap tremendous taste bud rewards, not to mention a fabulous smelling kitchen.  I used Tyler Florence's recipe (link HERE) but replaced the wine with apple juice, and used porcini mushrooms instead of the crimini and portobello mushrooms.  Result?  De-lish!
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Turkey Meatballs and Zucchini Noodles

10/20/2014

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It's Kids Clothes Week, so family and house will be de-prioritized for seven days.  Sorry, sweeties!  Fortunately, I have a stash of yummies in the freezer for family dinners.  This is one of our favorites, and when I make it fresh, I always freeze half of the meatballs and sauce for another time.  This is how they come out of the freezer:
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You can find the recipe here. 
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 Instead of pasta, I like to serve these with zucchini noodles.  I have a new toy, the Spriralizer.
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It produces wonderful noodles from any vegetable. 
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If you're not a fan of slimy zucchini (who is, I wonder?) try this trick: Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and let sit for an hour or so.  It draws a bunch of the water out for a firmer "noodle."  See how much water I was extracted by the salt (below)?  For you smoothie lovers, don't throw away the zucchini water -- save it as a boost in your breakfast treat.
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To cook, simply sauté in a little butter, olive oil, or pesto.  Serve with meatballs. 

Blessings!
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Fridge Friday: Roasted Tomato & Lavender Bruschetta

10/17/2014

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Found: Mixed cherry tomatoes, few pieces of ciabatta bread, bottle of dried lavender I've yet to use
Made: Bruschetta for lunch!

Ingredients:
18 cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise 

3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt
Fresh or dried basil
Dried lavender
Italian dressing (I currently am using a copycat Olive Garden recipe)

Ciabatta or sourdough bread
Shredded
parmigiano reggiano cheese

Instructions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  In a bowl, mix your cherry tomatoes with garlic, oil and a generous amount of salt.  (Eyeball it -- I used 2 "glugs" of oil for my 18 toms.)  Spread on pan and roast for 2 hours.  

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In a container that has a strong sealed lid (I used a mason jar), mix your roasted tomato / garlic mix with basil (I used dried, didn't have the fresh on hand) and lavender.  Again eyeball it -- the picture below shows my eyeballing.  Add Italian dressing, mix well, and let the ingredients get to know one another for several hours -- or overnight is even better.
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To make the bruschetta, set your oven to broil.  Place bread slices baking sheet and broil until both sides are golden brown (turn once during baking).  Top with roasted tomato mix, freshly shredded cheese, and, just to gild the lily, drizzle with a bit more olive oil.  Yum-mo!

P.S. Sorry I did not get a picture of the final "presentation" -- I forgot.  Blame it on low blood sugar! 

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