Crab Risotto and a Clafoutis (rhymes with booty)

There are few one-pot-wonders as delicious as risotto. Even spaghetti and meatballs requires more than one pot. I suppose a casserole would count as a one pot wonder, but sometimes you need to mix ingredients in a separate bowl and then you suddenly have a sink full of dishes and a broken dishwasher.

Anywho, risotto is great because it can be done one billion different ways. Change up the stock, the veg, add protein, different cheeses, etc. All you need is the basic technique and the liquid to arborio rice ratio and you are golden!

Crab, Mushroom, and Artichoke Risotto


Ingredients

• 2 tbsp smart balance
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 4 cups fat free chicken stock, warmed (nuke for 2 minutes!)
• 1 medium white onion, finely diced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 can of artichoke hearts (in water) drained and halved
• 12-16 oz. crab meat (claw or $ lump $, depending on your budget and how much you like), warmed 
• 1/3 c. 2% milk
• 1/4 c. shaved parmesan/asiago blend
• Salt and pep to taste

Directions

• In a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, melt smart balance.
• Soften onion and mushrooms
• Once starting to brown, add rice and stir continuously unti grains are coated and turning translucent 
• Add wine and cook until absorbed into grain
• Add one cup of stock and stir and cook until absorbed into rice
• Continue this method, adding 1/2 - 1 cup at time (will take about 15 minutes)
• When you add your last bit of stock, add in the artichokes and stir delicately (you don't want to obliterate them)
• Once all liquid is absorbed and rice is soft, you are ready to start flavoring and adding cooked protein!
• Add milk and cheese and stir until melted
• Once milk is absorbed into the rice, add the crab
• Stir to incorporate and remove from heat
• Serve immediately with a crispy salad
• This would be great topped with freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

crabby, mushroomy, artichokey, cheesy. yum!

The next time I make risotto I am going to try it with a tomato sauce/fish stock broth to make a red seafood risotto. I should probably cool it on the cheesy rice dinner for a couple weeks though....

We are still drowning in figs over here so I found a tasty and SUPER SIMPLE dessert to make with them: clafoutis!

I heard about clafoutis through Skinnytaste, then saw a chef make it on Chopped. I figured it was meant to be, so I googled a basic recipe. Surprise! The top recipe on Google came from Julia Child! Not to get all Julie & Julia on you, but . . .

I pulled out my cooking bible!

Clafoutis! I subbed egg whites to cut the fat and cholesterol a ton.... and it turned out GREAT. Like risotto, the clafoutis could be adapted by changing the fruit! Cherries are traditional, but apples, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, or apricots would all be fabulous. Or a mix! The batter comes out like a pudding-like custard and is sweet and vanilla-y. It's a great dessert for summer or winter.

Fig Clafoutis


Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 8 equally sized figs, washed, trimmed, and split in two
• 1 1/4 c. 2% milk
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 3/4 c. 100% liquid egg whites
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c white flour

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Spray a round glass baking dish (a square casserole dish would work too)
• Place figs flesh up in the dish. The idea is that each bite will have fig, so ideally they will be fitting snugly in the dish.
• In a BLENDER (<----so freaking easy) blend all dry and wet ingredients for one minute at full speed
• Pour over figs, being sure to get a bit of batter inside the figs
• Bake uncovered for an hour
• Dust with powdered sugar and serve hot

So very very good.

Happy Labor Day! Starting my new job tomorrow morning! Yippeeeee!!!!