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Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe contains cheese and some of those who are lactose intolerant may be able to tolerate it.

Sodium
This is NOT a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
This recipe contains GERD triggers and those with GERD may wish to avoid it.

Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.

"Bachelor's fare: Bread, cheese, and kisses."
-Jonathan Swift, Author

The refrigerator light goes on...

Risotto is certainly one of my favorite foods and making it a part of your cupboard is a really smart thing. If you have arborio rice, you almost always have a meal. This is a good example of how easy it is to create a whole new dish with fresh flavors from just a few, inexpensive ingredients. The paprika gives it just a little spice, the chicken thighs a good depth of flavor, the zucchini and peppers sweetness and the gouda a soft smoky undertone.

Use this as a guide to create your own risottos.

Garlic

Garlic is a member of the onion family and is a close cousin to red and white onions as well as leeks and shallots.  Like others in the Alliaceae family garlic is strong and pungent when fresh and raw but mellows as it cooks taking on a slightly sweet, savory/umami flavor.  

Cooking garlic over a high heat and letting it brown will turn the garlic slightly bitter.  With some recipes, I want that flavor but when I want a soft, sweeter garlic flavor, as in Tomato Sauce or Fettuccini Alfredo, I cook the garlic very slowly over a low heat so that it turns a soft white color and then translucent.  

I couldn’t live without my garlic roaster.  The best ones are made of terra cotta and have a glazed dish so that the oil won’t absorb into the clay.  They’re cheap – ten or fifteen dollars at most and come in single bulb sizes but the one I use allows me to roast about four heads at once.  Roasted garlic keeps about a week if you put it in a tightly sealed glass container.  

If you don’t want to spring for a roaster, using a sauce pan that has a thick bottom will work fine.  I reduce the heat in the oven by about 25°, depending on the thickness of the pan.  

For use raw mince your garlic after peeling.  Separate the cloves of garlic and trim the stem end.  You don’t have to peel the garlic and can simply place it on a cutting board.  Place the flat of your knife blade on top and carefully lean against the knife using the heal of your hand.  After you have crushed the clove the skin will slide off and the cloves will mince easily after crushing.  

Good Grips and other manufacturers make a nifty garlic peeler.  This is a small, flexible silicone tube big enough for three or four garlic cloves.  Pop your unpeeled clove inside, roll on the counter and out pops the peeled clove.  The silicone tube is an easy clean up.  At about 7 bucks this product is a must have if you are going to be cooking for a crowd.  

There are three basic types of garlic available in grocery stores today.  The white skinned garlic (often referred to as American garlic – which it is not necessarily true), pink skinned garlic and elephant garlic.  

White skinned garlic is the strongest and most pungent.  The pink skinned is a milder garlic and is often referred to as Mexican or Italian garlic.  The large elephant garlic is the mildest of all.  When roasting garlic, I prefer to use the pink skinned.  I feel that it makes for a softer, richer garlic flavor.  Roasting elephant garlic can often yield a tough, fibrous product.  

I am not terribly fond of the pre-peeled garlic that is available now.  I use a lot of garlic -- fresh and roasted -- and I couldn’t use the garlic fast enough to keep the peeled product from going bad.  Purchase you own and if you are not going to use it too fast, simply place it in the fridge.  

I know that I have beat up pretty badly on dried herbs, pre-ground spices, packaged foods and the like but I actually like to use garlic powder sometimes.  It is one of those weird spices that has a flavor all its own - sort of like garlic but not really.  I think I like it because my mother cooked with it and it evokes wonderful memories.  It is perfect in this Oven Fried Chicken and other breaded dishes.  I also love making Chicken Salad and French Fries with garlic powder.

3 cloves garlic = 17 calories, <1g fat, 0g sat fat, 0g mono fat, <1g protein, 3g carbohydrates, 2mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 0 mcg Vitamin K

Smoked Gouda Risotto with Chicken

Servings = 2 | Serving size =about 2 cups

Cooking Time = 30 Minutes

This recipe can be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

This recipe makes great leftovers.

1 tsp	olive oil
2 cloves	garlic (sliced)
1/2 tsp	paprika
1 large	onion (diced)
6 ounces	boneless skinless chicken thighs (trimmed and diced)
1/2 cup	arborio rice
1/4 tsp	salt
	fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
3 cups	water
1 medium	zucchini (diced)
1	bottled roasted red pepper (thinly sliced)
2 ounces	smoked gouda cheese (shredded)

Place the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 -3 minutes until the garlic is slightly soft. Reduce the heat if necessary so that the garlic will not brown.

Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the chicken and cook until the outside of the chicken is light brown.

Add the arborio rice and stir well. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the salt, pepper and water. Stir, and when the rice is simmering, reduce the heat to low.

Let the risotto simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes. When the rice is just done add the zucchini and red pepper. Stir and add a little more water if needed. Cook for two minutes.

Add the gouda and stir. When the cheese is melted, serve.