It’s April. A transition month. Here in the northeast, the days are longer, the sun a bit stronger, the snow is receding and the foot traffic around the “loop” in my neighborhood has picked up. Sure, we got 7 inches of snow on Fri. and the ski mountain is still jammed with people. But if you look closely, here and there are the small, but sure signs of Spring.
For me, more than New Year, the change of seasons inspires my resolutions. This year, my Spring resolution is simple: No Excuses. No more, “I am too tired, too busy, too stressed” to pay attention to my health in some small way, every day. As Gillian said in Wednesday’s post, “There is always something we can do, every day, every hour, to gently improve our well-being, it doesn’t have to be huge, it just has to be. No excuses.”
So I have put a sticky note on my computer screen reminding me to get up and stretch throughout the day. And when I cook tonight’s roast chicken dinner, instead of the usual mashed potatoes and gravy, I’ll be substituting in a whole grain and Spring vegetables with this recipe courtesy of Ina Garten and the Food Network.
Spring Green Risotto
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
- 1 cup chopped fennel
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 pound thin asparagus
- 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving
Directions
Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)
When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.
Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.
Note: In an effort to reduce calories, I have had good success preparing this without the butter in step one (sautéing the vegetable in just olive oil) and omitting the mascarpone cheese.