Sunday Night Dinner - Risotto with Green Veggies

This weekend we biked over to the Kitsilano Farmer's Market on Sunday, because we missed the West End one on Saturday. While at the market I found some english peas. I love these and could seriously just shell and eat them for a snack. I then saw some asparagus, and decided to make a risotto for dinner. When I got home I noticed the kale growing on the balcony was getting pretty bushy, so I grabbed some of that for the risotto as well.

Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Kale
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and 1 1/2 cups water, heated and kept warm

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 onion, finely diced
- 10 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- 1 cup arborio (short grain) rice
- 1/4 cup white wine (or vegetable broth if you're stuck)
- 1 cup shelled, fresh english peas
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- juice of 1/2 lemon

In a medium saucepan, saute onino and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat. Add rice, stirring to coat. Pour in wine, cook stirring until no liquid remains, around 2 minutes.

Begin adding the broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more broth. This will use up about 2 1/2 cups of the broth. Once you have added the last half cup of broth, add asparagus. Continue stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed. This slow cooking process can take up to 20 minutes, so be patient, it is worth it.

Add peas, kale and the rest of the broth (about 1/4 cup). Cook stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and about 3/4 of the cheese. Serve sprinkled with remaining cheese.

White Tomatoes

This weekend marked the return of the West End Farmer's Market in Vancouver. This year we had looked into joining a CSA (a Community Supported Agriculture program), which basically boils down to receiving a box of produce every week from a local farm throughout the summer. You pay up front and you don't know what you are going to get week to week. I liked the idea of being challenged with a box of produce every week, and having the opportunity to create new and exciting dishes out of what came my way. However, after examining the program, it wasn't the best fit for us, partially because we don't have a car to pick it up, and also because we will be away for several different weekends over the course of the summer. That being said, I promised myself that instead, we would shop more often at the Farmer's Markets, and I would start taking chances on produce that I had never cooked with before. So here I am in the Farmer's Market at a tomato stall, and there are all these different varieties of Heirloom tomatoes. I love tomatoes, but I have to admit I've never really ventured past cherry, grape, roma and beefsteak tomatoes. So there were these white tomatoes and it said they were low in acid, and good for pasta sauce. The result was surprisingly refreshing.


Pasta with White Tomato and Sausage
- 2 Italian Sausages, cooked and sliced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 medium white Heirloom Tomatoes
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 -3 tsp capers
- salt and pepper

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic, saute for five minutes or until onion is softened. Chop tomatoes and add to skillet along with juices. Add salt and pepper, simmer on low for about 15 minutes. While sauce is simmering boil water for pasta, and throw together a salad.

While pasta cooks (I used broad egg noodles), add sausage to sauce and heat through. Drain pasta, add lemon juice and capers to sauce. Toss with pasta.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I've never been a really huge fan of Chicken Cordon Bleu, probably because the only time I've had it has been of the frozen variety, and most likely cooked in the microwave. However, Brent had been getting after me to make Chicken Cordon Bleu for awhile now. So I finally caved and decided to try my hand at it. I didn't think I'd be satisfied with a simple chicken with ham and swiss cheese, so I looked around on a few sites and settled on adapting a recipe of Tyler Florence's from Food Network's website. The combination of prosciutto and Gruyere cheese, as well as a herbed bread crumb crust really takes this recipe up a notch.

Chicken Cordon Blue
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 thing slices of prosciutto
- 1/2 cup Gruyere, grated
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 cup regular or panko bread crumbs
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs, beaten

Lay the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper. Pound to 1/4 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Remove top sheet of wrap. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto on chicken, sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the chicken and roll up tightly. Seal both ends tight to form a nice log (this part takes some practice and is hard to explain).

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with the thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and melted butter.

Dust the chicken with the flour, dip in the egg, and coat in bread crumbs. Place on rack on baking pan. Bake for 20 - 25 mimnutes until browned and cooked through. I served it with sauteed Swiss Chard and a Cauliflower Bake.


These were awesome the next day too, and I will definitely make them again.