The 21st Century Housewife's© Leek and Pancetta Pesto Risotto

Although risotto does require a lot of stirring, it really is not a difficult thing to make. It’s comfort food at its best - smooth, flavourful rice accented by your favourite ingredients. In this version I use tasty Italian bacon (pancetta) and mild, delicious leeks perked up with the addition of basil pesto.

Washing leeks is not as hard as everyone makes out. In fact, unless the leeks are very dirty indeed, provided you thoroughly wash the outsides and dry them you can usually just go from there. Cut the ends off and slice them thinly. Then rinse the sliced leeks thoroughly in cold water a few times and drain in a colander. You honestly don’t have to fuss around slicing them open like flowers and swishing them about in water or anything like that unless they are absolutely filthy. If it does look like they are very dirty in between the layers, just cut a small slice about half way through the leek from top to bottom after you have cut the ends off, fan the leek open and rinse under the tap until the dirt is mostly gone. Then slice and rinse as described above.

Be sure to use proper risotto rice – sometimes called Arborio rice – to get the best flavour and texture. You can often buy pancetta already cubed and ready to use but if you can’t find it or it is too pricey, just chop up a few slices of bacon to use instead. If you have any homemade pesto to hand, by all means use it, but feel free to use ready made if that is easier. I like Sacla brand pestos and use their Classic Basil Pesto for this recipe. Oh, and if you don’t want to use wine, just substitute an equal amount of stock – but the wine really does enhance the flavour of this dish. Most of the alcohol burns off anyway.

2 tablespoons butter
2 - 3 leeks, finely sliced and washed
1½ cups risotto rice
¾ cup wine
3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
(from a cube is fine)
3 to 4 tablespoons of basil pesto
¾ cup cubed pancetta
1 cup frozen peas
juice of half lemon
1 very generous tablespoon of crème fraîche or sour cream
(the low-fat versions of both of these work really well)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan, deep frying pan or casserole that you can use on the stovetop.

Add the leeks and toss to coat in the butter. Cook for a few minutes until they are just beginning to soften a bit. Stir in the risotto and coat with the buttery leek mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly so the risotto rice does not catch.

Pour in the wine, and stir until it is absorbed. Now, gradually add the stock, a bit at a time, stirring after each addition and allowing it to absorb before adding any more.

Meanwhile, fry the pancetta in a small frying pan until it is cooked. Set aside and keep warm.

After you have added the wine and about three cups of the stock, stir in the pesto and the lemon juice. Taste the risotto – it should be soft and tender, but still al dente (like pasta when it is cooked properly). If it is still too firm, continue adding the rest of the stock, a bit at a time, until the risotto rice is a good texture.

Stir in the crème fraîche or sour cream. Serve in warmed bowls with rolls, crusty bread or salad on the side.

It’s a pleasure once again to link this post up with some of my favourite blogs. You can find some great ideas and recipes at Friday Food at Momtrends, The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap, Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s blog. I encourage you to go and visit by clicking on the blog names. Have a great weekend everyone!

The 21st Century Housewife's© Easy Supper Omelettes

Although traditionally for breakfast, omelettes make a really tasty supper. They are quick, easy, nutritious and economical too.

I used to struggle to make omelettes as I’m not terribly good at complicated flipping manoeuvres, but I’ve found another method that works for me. Instead of trying to turn the omelette, I cook the top under the broiler or grill and then all I have to do is fold it in half, which even I can manage!

Most kids love omelettes, particularly if you let them choose what goes in them. Typical fillings of ham, cheese and chopped tomato are all kid friendly, and I always put the ketchup bottle on the table. I have to admit I’ve always liked a bit of ketchup on omelettes – except some of the more exotic ones!

That is the beauty of omelettes; they can be so simple, or they can be really special. The other night I made roasted vegetable omelettes for dinner and I got tons of compliments. I already had the roasted vegetables on hand and served them with hash brown potatoes, but you could serve them with a nice big salad if you prefer. Either way there is very little effort involved (okay, I admit it, I used ready-made frozen hash browns!).

If you need to make several omelettes, they will keep warm in a low oven so you can serve them all at once, although they taste best served immediately. It all depends on how many oven-safe frying pans you have. I find my ten-inch Tefal frying pans work really well, and the omelettes I make in those using the recipe below will serve a hungry adult or two children.

Filling suggestions are below the main recipe. I highly recommend adding just a pinch of dried oregano to the basic mixture. I would never have thought about using it, but on our last visit to Cyprus the chef made omelettes to order in front of us at the breakfast buffet and he made a big deal about always throwing a bit of oregano in the mixture before he cooked it. It makes the omelettes taste really wonderful.

To make one large omelette you need:-
2 to 3 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
a handful of grated cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese
other filling ingredients*
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of good dried oregano (optional)
 
see below

Heat a small oven safe non-stick pan on the stove top.  Turn the broiler/grill portion of your oven to medium. 
 
Lightly beat the eggs and milk together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the egg mixture into the hot non-stick pan.  Gently pull the edges of the egg mixture towards the centre of the pan with a non stick egg lifter (often called a ‘slice’ in England) so that you get a nice flat omelette. Now put your choice of filling ingredients on half of the omelette and then sprinkle cheese over the whole thing. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
 
Lift a corner of the omelette and have a peak at it.  If the bottom is nice and brown, it’s time to transfer it to the grill.  If not, watch and wait for a couple more minutes until the bottom of the omelette is a nice golden brown colour. 
 
Transfer the pan from the stove top to under the grill.  Watch the omelette carefully.  When it starts to brown and puff up, remove it from the oven and fold it in half using the egg lifter.  Serve and enjoy!

*Fillings

ham, chopped tomato, canned niblet corn, any frozen vegetable (including mixed vegetables), thawed

canned artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped or frozen artichoke hearts thawed and cut in bite size pieces along with canned or bottled roast peppers

roasted vegetables – I almost always keep roast vegetables in the fridge.  They are so easy to make.  Simply cut up a red onion, two or three multi-coloured peppers and a zucchini (courgette).  Toss them in about two tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and roast in a hot oven for about thirty to forty minutes - stirring occasionally - until the vegetables are softened and golden, but not charred.  You can read my previous entries about roast vegetables by clicking here.  These can be used immediately or cooled and stored in the refrigerator for three or four days. 

Asparagus (used canned or frozen out of season)

I’ve linked this post up with Friday Food over at Momtrends, Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap, and Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s blog. Pop on over and say hello.

Pork Tenderloin on Rice with a Mustard Cream Sauce

Pork tenderloin is a wonderful cut of meat. It’s lean and low in fat, and you can so do many different things with it. When I’m buying it I prefer to buy more than I need for just one meal. It’s usually cheaper that way and anyway, pork tenderloin is a great thing to have as leftovers. Among other things you can make really lovely hot supper sandwiches with it, serve it re-heated with spicy onion gravy or you can make it into something very special by preparing this quick and easy dinner with it!

To serve four people you need:-

1 tablespoon oil
1 red pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 heaped tablespoons flour
about 1½ cups milk
1 generous tablespoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
about 2 cups cooked pork tenderloin, cubed
¾ cup frozen peas
1 bunch scallions (spring onions), washed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
enough rice for four, cooked according to package instructions

In a small frying pan, heat the oil and gently sauté the pepper over a low to medium heat.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the milk, a bit at at time, whisking constantly. As the sauce begins to thicken after each addition of milk, add a little bit more, but go carefully - you may not need the whole amount. When the sauce is a nice creamy consistency, stir in the mustard, paprika, cubed pork tenderloin, sautéed red peppers and frozen peas.

Heat gently over medium heat, stirring frequently and adding a bit more milk if the mixture begins to thicken too much. When the pork is heated through and the peas are cooked, stir in the scallions (spring onions). Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste if you wish.

Serve over the hot, cooked rice.

I’ve linked the original of this post from my main website The 21st Century Housewife up with Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum, The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap, Friday Food over at Momtrends and Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s blog. Do go on over and say hello!

Sausage and Balsamic Roast Shallot Pasta

It’s Friday and once again there is a lot going on in the Blogosphere for those of us who like to cook. I’m linking this post to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s blog, Friday Food on Momtrends and the Recipe Swap on Gayle’s Grocery Cart Challenge blog. These blogs are all really worth a look so do go along for a visit :)

This is a great recipe for this time of year because it is quick and easy, yet tastes like it took a lot of time and effort. It is also easy on your purse or pocketbook! The shallots and spice give it an excellent flavour and the brussel sprouts add a lovely Christmassy touch. Please don’t go all funny on me about these – properly cooked they are gorgeous. (Overcooked, soggy and wilted they are awful!!) Having said that, if you really hate them, please feel free to leave them out. We love them in our house! In fact, I think I may be the only Mom who can say that when my son was little he used to stand in the vegetable aisle in the grocery store and say, “Please buy me some brussel sprouts mummy, I haven’t had them in ages!” Honestly, he did! People used to look at us, amazed – hearing a child ask for any vegetable is pretty incredible - hearing them ask for brussel sprouts is nigh on miraculous!

Anyway, if you are using fresh chillies, be sure to wear gloves or wash your hands very thoroughly after chopping them – and keep your fingers well away from your eyes until you have washed your hands. Believe me, chilli can burn. I have found ready-chopped chillies preserved in jars here in England and I must admit I use them quite a lot. The ones I buy are from the English Provender Company and are quite appropriately called ‘Very Lazy Chillies’. They do ‘Very Lazy Garlic’ as well (which you could also use in this recipe). I am sure there must be something similar if you live in North America and if you can find it, do please feel free to use it in this recipe! Anything to save a bit of time and effort at this busy time of year!! (NB. I use about half a teaspoon of the chillies when I make this, and about a teaspoon of the garlic.)

Passata is cooked, sieved tomato and is sold in jars or those cardboardy tetra-pac containers. If you can’t find it, feel free to use a tin of tomatoes instead. If your family is like mine and doesn’t like chunks of tomato in their food, just whiz the tomatoes in the food processor or blender before using.

This is a pasta meal that is definitely good enough to serve to guests, but it also makes a super family meal. The quantities listed below serve two to three hungry adults, but the recipe is easily doubled.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
about 10 shallots, peeled and quartered
6 good quality pork sausages, chopped in three to four pieces each
2 garlic cloves
half a small red chilli (ribs and seeds removed), chopped OR
a pinch of dried red pepper flakes
½ cup white wine
1-1/2 cups passata (cooked, sieved tomatoes)
1 generous teaspoon white sugar
1 chicken stock cube
a good handful of brussel sprouts, washed, peeled and finely sliced
9 to 10 ounces (250 – 300 grams) whole wheat pasta

Pre-heat the oven to very hot (400℉ or 200℃). Put the shallots in a roasting dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Here is how mine looked before they went into the oven:-



Roast the shallots in the oven for about twenty minutes, stirring once, until softened and golden.

Meanwhile, heat the other tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan (with a lid) on the stove top. When it gets to medium heat, add the pieces of sausage and fry gently, stirring as little as possible so they don’t fall to pieces. When they are starting to brown, grate in the garlic using a fine grater. (You can chop it finely if you prefer. I saw Rachael Ray grating garlic into a recipe on television one day, thought it was a fantastic idea, and have never looked back!) Add the white wine, passata, chillies or red pepper flakes and the white sugar. Crumble the chicken stock cube over the top and then stir everything gently together. Pop the lid on the pan and simmer over low heat for about fifteen to twenty minutes or until the sausages are cooked through.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.

Once the sausages are done, toss the sliced Brussel sprouts and roasted shallots into the sauce and stir gently to mix. Pop the lid back on and cook for about three to five minutes over low heat just to let the sprouts soften.

Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir gently to mix. Serve and enjoy.

PS - This is really, really delicious with a nice glass of full bodied red wine, like a merlot or cabernet sauvignon - or a glass of red grape juice!