Easy Rosemary Pork Chops + Pea & Mushroom Risotto

These two recipes both came from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Cuisine of California, although I substituted pork chops for veal chops because those are harder to find here in England.

Grilled Chops with Rosemary (serves 4)

4 veal loin chops (or pork chops), 6-8oz. (200-250g) each

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 (2-inch) sprigs of fresh rosemary

Juice of 1 medium lemon

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Brush chops liberally on each side with olive oil.

2. Strip leaves off rosemary sprigs and press leaves into both sides of each veal/pork chop. Sprinkle lemon juice on each side and refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Prepare barbecue for medium heat grilling or preheat oven grill/broiler, if necessary. Grill chops 3 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. The veal should be pink inside. Take veal/pork off grill and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with risotto.

Risotto with Fresh Mushrooms and Peas (Serves 4 to 6)

4 T/55g unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

1 cup arborio rice

2 cups shelled fresh peas (we used thawed frozen peas)

1/4 tsp finely ground pepper

3 cups (750ml) chicken stock, heated to hot

1/4 lb (125g) mushrooms, sliced (we used mini portabello)

1/4 c. (60ml) fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 2 T of butter in a heavy saucepan. Add shallots and cook over low heat until soft but not browned. Stir in rice and saute lightly without letting it brown.

2. Add peas, 1/4 tsp. of salt, 1/8 tsp of pepper, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of stock. Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, cooking until it is absorbed. Stir frequently. Stop adding stock when rice is tender. Total cooking time should be about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of the butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms, the remaining salt and pepper and saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned.

4. When rice is done, gently stir in mushrooms, the remaining butter, and the Parmesan cheese (using a 2 prong fork if you have one). Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.

Creamy Risotto with Peas and Crispy Bacon

OK, for all you pork lovers out there (I know who you are), this is a great dish. Sorry Vegetarians! We had it last night for dinner and D gobbled it up. It's not low fat, but you could omit either the salami/chorizo or the bacon, and just enjoy the risotto. Either way, it's creamy, salty goodness.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

15g/.5 oz knob of butter

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 spring onions/green onions, trimmed and sliced

60g/2.5 oz. cured chorizo sausage, coarsely chopped

(I substituted some garlic-flavored hard salami)

200g/7 oz Arborio risotto rice

1 glass dry white wine

500 ml/2 cups chicken stock, heated

1 heaped tbsp mascarpone or cream cheese

40g/1.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese

60g/2.5 oz frozen peas

4 rashers/slices unsmoked back or streaky bacon

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, add the onion and green onion and cook until softened, about 5-6 mins. Add the chorizo and cook for 2 minutes, then add the risotto rice and cook an additional 2 minutes, making sure all rice is coated in oils.

2. Add the wine and continue to stir until it has been absorbed, then add a ladle of the hot stock. Reduce the heat to simmer. Keep stirring, allowing each ladleful of stock to be absorbed before adding the next.

3. Once all the stock has been absorbed, stir in the mascarpone and Parmesan, then mix in the frozen peas. Remove from the heat and cover for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, grill the bacon until crisp, then place 2 rashers on top of each serving of risotto.

Butternut Squash Two Ways

I had a large, 2-pound butternut squash left over from our Thanksgiving table decorations, so I decided to turn into two dishes: Butternut Squash Risotto (non-vegetarian) and Thick Lentil, Garlic & Butternut Stew (Vegetarian). The risotto was a perfect, warming, 'comfort food' meal yesterday afternoon after D and I scraped the snow off the car and went for mile-long swims at the gym pool, and I'm planning to serve the stew with some fish and lamb during the next few days.

Butternut Squash Risotto (serves 4)

taken from Martha Stewart's Living CookbookThe Original Classics

5 cups/1250 ml chicken stock (home-made or store bought)

1 lb./500g raw butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4oz./125g pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 & 1/2 cups Arborio (risotto) rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 Tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley or tarragon

(I used a dash of dried tarragon as well as the parsley)

1. In a saucepan, combine the stock and squash; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; let simmer (squash will not cook completely).

2. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a medium saucepan (large enough to hold the finished risotto) over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta; cook, stirring, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 8-10 mins. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta and set aside on a paper towel to drain.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the rendered fat; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice, raise heat to high, and continue stirring until the edges of the rice are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine; cook, stirring until the wine is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high; season with salt and pepper. Add about 1 cup/250ml of the hot stock and squash. Cook, stirring, until nearly all the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock and squash, about 3/4 cup (180ml) at a time. Cook, stirring, allowing each addition to be nearly absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy but a little firm in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. (Some of the squash will start to disintegrate and will start to form a golden, creamy paste around the risotto). Stir in the parsley or tarragon and reserved pancetta. Serve. Note: Martha suggests topping the risotto with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired, but I skipped this option.

Thick Lentil, Garlic & Butternut Stew (serves 4)

taken from Sonja Edridge's recipe in Waitrose's October Everyday Recipes

Note: I halved the recipe and it made 4 side dish portions

4 Tbsp mild olive oil

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

5 tomatoes, roughly chopped

200g/7oz red lentils, washed

1000g/2lbs. raw butternut squash, peeled

and cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 4 cups)

600ml (2 & 1/3 cups) vegetable stock

1. Heat a large, non-stick pan with 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the celery and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, to soften, then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, lentils and butternut squash. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, then cook for 20-25 minutes (adding a little water if necessary) until the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are cooked.

3. Season well and spoon into bowls. Drizzle in the remaining olive oil and serve with rustic or crusty bread. Note: I cooked the stew a little longer until it was nearly the texture of mashed potatoes and plan to serve it as a side dish, rather than a meal. You may also wish to season with salt and pepper--I did.