We are cheering the cooler temperatures; a new page has been turned on the calendar, and fall decorations grace our houses – it’s natural for us to feel a desire for fall-inspired foods as well.

To wit – I took out my stack of ‘proven winner’ recipes and pulled out those that would inspire warm, fuzzy, fall feelings:

French Apple Cake

Spicy Lasagna Soup

Meatballs and Spicy Meat Sauce

Cranberry-Orange anything

Crockpot Soups galore

And …

Curried Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto

I had drawn two hearts on my recipe, and there were helpful notes jotted in the margins. It was like seeing an old friend after an absence.

There was a time when just seeing the word ‘risotto’ would have intimidated me. What was that?

Now, I know it’s simply an Italian rice dish, slowly cooked with broth – a little dab at a time – stirred a lot until there is a creamy consistency, and the rice is al dente.

A special short grain, high-starch rice is used – usually arborio rice – that gradually releases its starch to create a creamy texture, but does not absorb so much fluid that it becomes mushy.

Perfection, basically.

My original recipe came from EatingWell, but I found exact copies under other names. It’s so hard to own a recipe. I have tweaked the original a bit, and am making it available to you to download and print.

Here are some basic risotto facts and pointers:

Risotto is a dish, not a type of rice you use to cook

Risotto is gluten free – it’s made from rice, not pasta made from grain

White wine is a common ingredient used in many versions of risotto – I did not know this, but after my first tasting sample, I instinctively added a splash or two of dry sherry that fixed what was missing for my palate.

My recipe used a small amount of oil for the sauteing of the leeks, but most recipes often use butter. I had to double the oil, but will use a combination of olive oil and butter next time.

Lest we all get laughed at, risotto is to be eaten with a fork, not a spoon, even if it’s in a shallow bowl. Apparently, there are those who care – it’s a thing. Thank heavens the table etiquette police were not around when we taste-tested today using spoons. At least we didn’t lick our bowls – we settled for considerable scraping, though! It was that good.

In addition to the downloadable recipe that follows, I also want to send you a link to a site that explains the risotto method quite well and offers another great basic recipe: Spruce Eats

Here is our download for Curried Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto:

If you love the subtle umami flavors of mushrooms mingling with a hint of pumpkin, I think you will enjoy this fall favorite of mine.

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In health –

Deidre

A Better Mouse Trap

Well, I latched on to an idea a little too soon and shared it with you. My deepest apologies. Seems Quinoa has a dark side – and not just the saponins that need rinsing off as I had indicated a couple weeks ago.

There are also lectins.

Boo! Crank up the spooky music!

Really.

Lectins can be unfriendly to the gut for many people – causing:

• Bloating

• Fatigue

• Joint pain

• Gas

• Stomach discomfort

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

Sound familiar? I am acquainted with 3-4 of these symptoms and never suspected my dear quinoa.

Apparently, the Incas who thrived eating this ancient grain, prepared it differently than we do. They soaked the grains for a l-o-n-g time, virtually fermenting them in water for one or more days prior to rinsing and cooking – effectively removing the lectin content and making the grains easier to digest.

But have no fear – we do not have to go to that much trouble.

—————

We can easily soak quinoa for 8 hours as described HERE: SOAKING QUINOA

OR we can use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to neutralize the lectins without soaking as described HERE: INSTANT POT QUINOA

Next time I cook this versatile ‘convenience’ food, after thoroughly rinsing the grains under running water to conquer the saponins, I will simply use my Instant Pot to neutralize those lectins.

So, where does that leave my visions of chocolate covered clusters of popped (unrinsed/unsoaked) quinoa?

Sigh.

What I saw online of how to do that sounded tricky – involving a very hot pan, unwavering attention, and precise timing when popping very small batches of grains.

Maybe I’ll pass.

I just know that when I soak raw nuts overnight and then dehydrate them, they are so much easier to eat and digest – it’s amazing.

The same will hold true with quinoa: if you can soak first, great – and if you can’t, use an Instant Pot to cook the rinsed grains.

There’s nothing like a happy belly and I’ll do whatever I need to keep mine happily functioning – because we are on the same team!

In health –

Deidre

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Ever wonder about soup and soup recipes?  

We were waxing philosophical the other night, while trying to follow a recipe for soup. There may have been wine involved. 

Anyway – there were issues with not having the exact ingredients. We were using some leftover grilled Hawaiian Kanpachi to create a fish chowder. 

What we had on hand did not totally match up with what was required.  

I mean – this was soup – how precise did we have to get?  

What was soup, anyway? Throw a bunch of veggies into a pot, add fluid, cook, stir, serve. Right? 

Chowder usually calls for corn. Check. Celery. Check. Carrots – meh – ate them last night in the salad. Onions. Check. We did have the required fresh thyme – felt really good about that. 

So, our mirepoix, (sauteed onions, carrots, and celery often used as a base for soups), lacked carrots.  

Oh, well.  

We pressed on to making the roux and added the fluid ingredients, which we adjusted to using some leftover chicken bone broth along with the thickest, yummiest heavy cream I have ever seen in my life – and eventually, we had lovely fish chowder. 

Chef Dennis’s recipe for fish chowder can be a springboard to your own version. It’s all good.  

After all – it’s soup! 

Oh, and don’t forget a spoonful of dry sherry to float on top of each steaming bowl! 

Just sayin’. 😉 

The Blue Ocean Mariculture in Kona, Hawaii is a fascinating place dedicated to eco-friendly, sustainable, deep-sea aquaculture, blazing the way to feed people in a healthy way. That’s where we bought our fish. Kanpachi is super-rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is simply delicious! 

In health –  

Deidre  

A recent trip to my old hometown and one of its beloved art stores, Carolina Creations, put me in such a nautical mood.

Suspended from the gallery’s lofty ceilings were various sizes of hand blown glass sculptures of manta rays – bringing back memories of a tour through the Atlanta Aquarium this past fall. There I was, watching these amazing creatures gliding through the water overhead as I stood below, gazing through the Plexiglas above.

While in the art gallery, I fancied making a serious investment in creating an under-the-seas theme – perhaps in the master bath – with the glass replicas of manta rays, jelly fish, and sea horses floating around the high ceilings overhead.

Ahhh.

Instead, I found a new home for an existing piece of art featuring an ocean wave, and I might put some conch shells on the ledge of the narrow shower window. The giant, graceful rays will have to be in my imagination.

Keeping in step with our seaside vibe, a recipe I use year round for gatherings is my Hot Seafood Salad. Since the main ingredient is imitation crab meat, I don’t like calling it a Hot Crab Salad, but one could.

Back when imitation crab was first introduced to the grocery stores, I did not like it – plus it contained wheat. Now, most packages of imitation crab proudly display their Gluten-Free label.

Hurray!

With just a little prep work – “mise en place” – this hot hors d’oeuvre is always a crowd pleaser, which frequently brings requests for the recipe.

The secret is in turning the solid, leg style pieces of fish into crab-like stringiness. To do that, just place the intact contents of the package onto your cutting board. Using a sturdy, wide-tined dinner fork, comb through the long pieces of fish.

This is so much fun!

Following the long grain of the meat, the tines of the fork separate the fish into delightful crab-like wonderfulness. You may need to turn the fish over to “comb” the other side.

After that, you’re ready to cook. In no time at all, the mixture will be slightly browned and ready to eat.

My spices of choice are:

Old Bay

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic

Crushed Red Pepper

The concept recipe below is easily adaptable to ingredients on hand. I usually use some colorful bell pepper – red, orange, or yellow – frozen green peas, frozen corn, and some fresh grated carrot to go along with the thinly sliced onion.

Check out the downloadable recipe here:

I can even see a finishing ingredient of some cream cheese to melt and “glue” this loose salad together. Appetizers are often so cheese-centric that I am happy not adding any with this recipe.

Whether you eat this Hot Seafood Salad on a cracker or simply by the forkful, you can be assured of a tasty treat that’s actually good for you – fish and veggies.

What could be better?

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In health –

Deidre