(57) Risotto with Chicken and Beet Greens

I have to admit right here and now - my husband and I do not really love beets. So when I saw beet greens in the CSA box this week, I thought 'eh, ok'. But today I got up the nerve to find a good recipe for them and I'm sure glad I did!

This risotto was an excellent way to use the beet greens! I only had about 3/4 lb of greens and they were slim and sometimes short. The final product didn't taste overly 'beet-ish' at all, which was my biggest fear. Not sure if it's because I didn't have a pound, they were small, or that's just the way this recipe works! In any case, it was DELICIOUS and the perfect lunch for us!

As with any risotto, there's an awful lot of stirring and waiting. The recipe says it should take 20 minutes and mine took at least 2x that long. It's quite possible that I was overly cautious, but if yours takes that long too, don't worry! Slow and steady is better than speedy in this case!

For my vegetarian friends out there, you could easily omit the chicken and sub in veggie broth. And if you're vegan (hi Natalie!) if you can find a good vegan substitute for parmesan, you're golden! (I used asiago and parmesan, but any mix of sharp tasting cheeses, vegan or not, would work!)

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Risotto with Chicken and Beet Greens

Yield: 6 servings
Source: Gourmet Magazine, March 1996

5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 pound beet stems and greens (from about 6 beets), stems trimmed and leaves washed well
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 ounces)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a saucepan bring broth and water to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer.

Cut beet stems into 1/4-inch pieces and slice leaves thin. In a 4-quart heavy kettle cook beet stems and onion in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon oil and beet leaves and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until leaves are wilted and any liquid is evaporated.

Add rice to chicken mixture and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Stir in about 1 cup broth and cook at a bare simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/3 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is tender and creamy looking but still al dente, 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar, grated Parmesan, black pepper, and salt to taste.

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(56) Gratin Au Chou

One of my favorite memories from elementary school was taking French classes. We went to a private school and we did French every week. It was mostly puppets and flash cards and LOTS of singing. One of the songs we sang was "Savez-vous planter les chous?" (that means "Do you know how to plant the cabbages?") and was meant to help you learn body parts. The French also refer to chou as sweetheart (Ma petite chou literally means "my little cabbage", but figuratively means "my sweetie"). All that to say, I love chou - it has a special place in my heart!! I love cabbage, but chou is even better :)

I was trying to come up with what to do with my cabbages from the CSA box and since I can't really chew much right now, this was the perfect fit! The original recipe kind of stunk and I ended up having to really improvise as I went along, but I wrote it all down and will hopefully not lead you astray!! The flavor of the sauce is what really wins this dish. Mixing it all up after it goes on your plate = HEAVEN! Oh and the original recipe said serves 6, but I can only assume that's as a main dish. I say 8-10 as a side. Great with roasted chicken!

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Gratin Au Chou

Yield: 8-10 servings (as a side)
Source: Adapted from an online recipe

1 medium Savoy cabbage (or a small Savoy and a small green cabbage is what I did...)
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 1/2 cups white rice
1 pound very ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (I used skim, but use whatever pleases you!)
1/2 pound grated cheese (Gruyère or Swiss)
salt and pepper

Cut the cabbage in quarters, wash well, and cut out the hard inner core. Chop the leaves and cook the cabbage for 10 minutes in a large pot of boiling water. You want it to be soft but not dead. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook for five minutes. Add the rice and cook for two minutes, stirring. Add the chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Cook for 10 minutes or until the rice is just tender, adding up to 1 cup more water as needed. You want your rice to be soft but not soupy...

Meanwhile make a bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and stirring in the flour. Cook the roux for two minutes and than slowly whisk in milk. Heat on medium heat until nearly boiling and thickened, then gradually add half of the cheese while stirring. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper (I used 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper). Oh and if you're like me and can't read directions properly and you just added ALL of the cheese, no worries. It will still be yummy!

To construct casserole, butter a large baking dish. Beginning with the cabbage, layer the cabbage and the rice mixture. Aim to get three even layers of each. Pour the bechamel sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. Serve the cabbage casserole hot.

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(29) Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

This was our Superbowl meal - ready to cheer on the Saints to victory!! It was pretty easy to put together, very filling and very tasty. It wasn't spicy enough for my liking, so I added more Tabasco. I will make this again for sure!

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Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups gumbo and 1/2 cup rice)
Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion (1 large)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell pepper (1 large)
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces light smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (such as Healthy Choice brand)
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added organic diced tomatoes
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
3 cups hot cooked rice

Place flour in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook 20 minutes or until light brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. (If flour browns too fast, remove pan from heat; stir constantly until it cools down.) Remove flour from pan, and set aside.

Add oil to pan. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove onion mixture from pan; set aside.

Increase heat to medium-high; add chicken and sausage to pan. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done; return onion mixture to pan. Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle reserved flour over chicken mixture; stir well. Return pan to medium heat. Drain 1 can tomatoes; stir in 1 can drained tomatoes and 1 can undrained tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, Worcestershire, and bay leaves; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Stir in salt, black pepper, and hot sauce. Serve over rice.

CALORIES 419 (20% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.1g); IRON 3.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 42mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.2g; SODIUM 888mg; PROTEIN 35.8g; FIBER 3.3g

(27) Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

The key to an easy stir-fry experience is having everything chopped and ready to go when you put the first ingredient in the pan. This required a little chopping, but wasn't too difficult (overall) to make. The lemon flavor is dominant, but not overwhelming. We both really liked this!!

I served this over brown rice and it was a nice hearty serving size. Add some eggrolls and you're in business!!

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Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

Spiked with lots of zesty lemon, this delectable chicken stir-fry has a colorful mix of snow peas, carrots and scallions. But feel free to substitute other thinly sliced vegetables, such as bell peppers or zucchini. Serve with: Rice noodles or brown rice.

Yield: 4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Source: Eating Well Magazine, May/June 2009

1 lemon
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 cup diagonally sliced carrots , (1/4 inch thick)
2 cups snow peas , (6 ounces), stems and strings removed
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Per serving:
225 Calories; 6 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 63 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 27 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 448 mg Sodium; 796 mg Potassium

(18) Fiesta Rice

I have a recipe that I normally use when I want a zesty Mexican side dish. I decided to try this one because we've been on a brown rice kick lately. This took a while to cook, but was DELISH and very filling. I will make this again!

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Fiesta Rice

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, May 2007

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

CALORIES 226 (16% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 52mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.5g; SODIUM 354mg; PROTEIN 6.6g; FIBER 4.9g

(16) Moroccan Chickpea Stew

This one's a shout out to my veggie friend, Paige, who's inspired me to add more meatless mains to the rotation!!

This was INCREDIBLY flavorful and filling! I loved the different textures - hard chickpeas mixed with the soft tomatoes and potatoes. Our bowls were closer to 2c/serving - for only 250 calories!? Woohoo! I kept some of the seeds in the jalapeno so it would have a little kick (we like it spicy!), but if you're not a spicy fan, just take all the seeds out. This took 45 minutes from start to finish (which, coincidentally, was the time that it took the brown rice to cook in the microwave!). I was going to make green beans, but got lazy, and I'm glad. It didn't need a side, although a nice piece of naan or some sort of flatbread would have been yummy!

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Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, November 2007
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups stew, 1/2 cup rice, and about 1 tablespoon yogurt)

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over whole wheat couscous instead of brown rice, if you prefer. For milder heat, seed the jalapeño.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup diced carrot (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato, about 1 large
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
3 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in potato and next 7 ingredients (through broth). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Serve over rice. Top with yogurt.

Wine note: With spicy ethnic cuisine, seek out the German grape gewürztraminer, which yields wines with floral and lychee aromas, as well as natural sweetness that makes a perfect foil to the jalapeño and cumin in the stew. Chateau St. Jean Gewürztraminer 2006 ($15), from Sonoma, California, offers classic honeysuckle and melon aromas, with a spice-friendly sweetness and snappy acidity that adds texture to the dish. -Jeffery Lindenmuth

CALORIES 251 (14% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.9g,poly 1g); IRON 2.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 97mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.5g; SODIUM 401mg; PROTEIN 7.3g; FIBER 6.8g

(57) Sesame-Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir-Fry

I love a good stir-fry! Since being pregnant (and dealing with horrific morning sickness), Chinese food from the actual takeout place just doesn't sit right with me. So my husband loves when I make it at home!! This recipe title is misleading - it's not orangy AT ALL... but it was very tasty! It makes huge servings and LOTS of sauce, so 1/2 cup rice might not be enough. Next time I'd consider either more rice or serving with a slotted spoon! This one's a winner!

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Sesame-Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir-Fry

"Stir-fries are an easy way to get more vegetables into my 4- and 6-year-old's diets. After years of experimenting to get the best flavor and consistency for a versatile sauce, I was finally satisfied with this combination of ingredients. The taste is slightly sweet with subtle flavors that complement all those fresh vegetables. There's a surprising hint of ground red pepper along with the nutty flavor of the dark sesame oil." —Rachel Spear, Casper, Wyo.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, June 2009

Sauce:
1 cup water
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Stir-fry:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup mushrooms, halved
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

2. To prepare stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, and stir-fry for 4 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chopped broccoli and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to the pan; stir-fry for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Return chicken to pan, and stir in shrimp. Add sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 340, Fat: 7.3g (sat 1.3g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.3g), Protein: 28.6g, Carbohydrate: 38.6g, Fiber: 2.7g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Iron: 4.1mg, Sodium: 864mg, Calcium: 77mg

(53) Parmesan-Basil Rice Pilaf

2 new recipes on tap tonight. The first is this rice pilaf. It has lots of potential, but I didn't love it as written.

What was right about it - the texture was GREAT! Think risotto creamy.... YUM!

What was wrong about it - I admit, I don't love green peas. I'll eat them, but they're not my favorite. So they really didn't need to be in there. The dried basil was all wrong - next time FRESH FRESH FRESH. I also would put another clove of garlic in next time. The cheese flavor wasn't super strong, so I would also top it with a few shaves of good strong parmesan!

I will make this recipe again, but with some tweaks! Anyway, here it is!

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Parmesan-Basil Rice Pilaf

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, November 1996

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup water
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in water and broth; bring to a boil.

Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 20 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Add remaining ingredients, tossing well.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 305 (10% from fat), Fat: 3.5g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.2g), Protein: 12.7g, Carbohydrate: 53.9g, Fiber: 2.2g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Iron: 2.3mg, Sodium: 179mg, Calcium: 144mg

(19) Basque Vegetable Rice

This rice was a real treat. Sligthly spicy, very creamy, chock full of good stuff! It was like risotto or even jambalaya. Worth repeating!

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Basque Vegetable Rice

Serves: 6
Source: Recipezaar

This is a versatile rice. You can add all sorts of vegetables or spicy Italian sausage for a heartier dish. Use Arborio rice for a creamier dish or short-grain paella rice, such as Valencia rice.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small dried red chili pepper, broken (can substitute crushed red pepper flakes)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon paprika, preferably Spanish
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups short-grain white rice, Valencia or arborio rice
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh minced for garnish

1. Heat oil in 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.

2. Add chile pepper, onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft but not browned, about 6 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

4. Add rice; stir to coat well with the tomato mixture.

5. Add broth; bring to boil.

6. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, 25-30 minutes.

7. Serve hot directly from pan; garnish with parsley.

(12) Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

Recovery from the stinker of last week! Redemption! This recipe is a definite keeper. 5 stars in my book. It was on the table in under and hour, super filling, and DELICIOUS. It was spicy, but not burn-your-mouth spicy.

For whatever reason, our Publix didn't have andouille so I bought sausage they had labeled as 'cajun'. I took it out of the casing and browned it up in the crumbled form and that worked fine! As always, I did not use the bay leaf *spit*. I failed to use the parsley and it was fine without it.

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Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, April 2005
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

CL Comments: Using both andouille sasuage and juicy pink shrimp, jambalaya is like a spicy surf-and-turf. To save time, buy frozen peeled shrimp and thaw in the refrigerator or under cold, running water.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 bay leaf
2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, minced garlic, and sausage; saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add rice to the next 7 ingredients (through bay leaf); cook 2 minutes. Add broth, water, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and diced tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley.

Calories: 426, Fat 12.7g, Iron 5.1mg, Cholesterol 117mg, Calcium 99mg, Carbohydrate 52.7g, Sodium 763mg, Protein 25g, Fiber 4.9g