Arancini

When we were in Italy we tried these amazing risotto balls called arancini. They are are native to Sicily, so Nick hadn't tried them before this trip. We made these as a big indulgence- the first fried food I've ever made- but they were so good I'm sure we'll justify making them again. Most of the ones in Sicily are the size of an orange or so -arancina means "little orange," but ours were quite a bit smaller to make them easier to prepare. Since they are larger, they can fill more inside and typically have ragu or tomato sauce, cheese , and maybe peas. Next time I'd love to try a butternut squash risotto with Gruyere cheese tucked inside.

Ingredients

vegetable oil, for frying (slight wince)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups day-old risotto
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs, I used flavored Panko
2 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or a bit smaller)
salt
optional: favorite ragu

Directions

1. Pour enough oil in a heavy, large saucepan to reach depth of 2-3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. {I didn't have a way to measure the temp and it was fine.}

2. Stir eggs, risotto, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place
remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl.

3. Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture for each, form the risotto mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.

4. Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot oil and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 2-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.

*If using optional ragu- place a spoonful of ragu when you add mozzarella to inside of risotto ball.

adapted from Giada

Hummus

  I love the versatility of hummus. Usually we just have it with veggies (carrots, broccoli, bell peppers) or some type of chip (pita chip, tortilla chip, crackers), but it is a great spread on a sandwich or pita etc. This is a really basic hummus that can be played with to your liking.

Ingredients

1 can garbanzo beans, drained*
2-3 Tbsp. tahini
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove
cumin, to taste
salt, to taste




Directions
     In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic and blend until smooth. Season to taste with cumin and salt.

*If you desire a thinner consistency, you an either use the juices from the garbanzo beans or some water to gradually thin it out. I like mine a littler thicker, so I usually don't do this.



-Can add additional flavors, to taste:  extra garlic, roasted red peppers, etc.

Christmas Guacamole

One fun thing about living in Arizona is that come fall and winter, pomegranate and all sorts of citrus trees are ready to share their bounty. We got free pomegranate passed to us and we enjoyed it in salads as well as this festive guacamole. I brought this and some hummus to our ward cooking club- they were a little out of place among the sweet dips, but I think it can be a welcomed taste during a time of so many sweets. I first tried this 3 or 4 years ago when Amber brought it to choir practice and I'm so glad Jessie had the recipe on the blog because it should surely become a Christmas tradition.

Ingredients

3 large avocados, peeled and pitted
1 lemon, juiced (or lime)
2 Tbsp. yellow or white onion, minced (next time I might use 1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
1 small or 1/2 large pomegranate, seeded
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place avocado in a medium sized bowl. Pour in lime juice and mash with a fork until smooth but chunky. Stir in onion, cilantro, sugar, and salt. Gently fold in pomegranate seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, in an airtight container, until ready to serve.

Serves 4.


 original recipe from Amber Sanovich, with adaptations from ahintofhoney

Southwest Rolls

slightly adapted from A Hint of Honey 

My friend, Jessie made these for my baby shower 2 years ago and I've also enjoyed them at a church activity where I was in charge of serving/replacing food trays = shoving these in my mouth behind the scenes. They are so delicious and worth making a lot at atime. We ate some the same evening and froze the rest, super easy to reheat-great as an appetizer or paired with something as a main dish.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced

2/3 cup green onion, sliced

2 large red bell peppers, minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (I used fresh corn cooked, then cut off the cob)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained- I used fresh spinach, closer to 3/4 cup or 1 cup
1/4 cup diced jalapeno peppers, seeded and rinsed (1 medium sized)
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. garlic powder (or 5 cloves fresh minced garlic)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese
20-30 (6-8 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas (or your favorite tortilla- like the ones you cook yourself)

Avocado Dipping Sauce

1 fresh avocado, smashed
1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. buttermilk-- didn't have on hand, used a little fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. dried parsley

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 dash dried dill weed

1 dash pepper

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add green onions and bell pepper and saute 5 minutes until tender.

2. Add diced cooked chicken, corn, spinach, black beans, jalapeno, parsley, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cilantro, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese so it melts.

3. Place tortillas between two moist paper towels and microwave 30 seconds-1 minute until hot and pliable. {I was using the tortillas you cook yourself, so this was bit different}

4. Spoon even amounts of mixture onto each tortilla. Fold in ends of tortilla, then roll tightly around mixture. Arrange in a medium dish, cover, and store in the freezer or refrigerator. Chilling them for several hours before baking helps hold them together, but is not absolutely necessary. They keep well frozen, and can be placed directly in the oven.

5. Lightly butter a baking sheet and place rolls evenly on the pan.

6. Bake rolls at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the edges begin to crisp, rotating them every 10 minutes.

7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for several minutes before slicing in half. Serve with Avocado Dipping Sauce and garnish with chopped onion and tomato.

8. To prepare sauce combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whip until creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

adapted from Nancy Hatch

Ingredients

1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, about two limes
1 clove of garlic, minced, or about 1 tsp.
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1-2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups frozen corn, cooked
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 avocados, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped


Directions

1. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocados, green onions, and cilantro.

2. In a small bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Whisk well until combined. (Can also be done in a salad dressing bottle.) Pour dressing over salad, a little at a time. Gently stir tough to coat salad ingredients. Add more dressing as desired.

This can be done before hand, up to overnight to enrich flavor. Great as a side or with tortilla chips as a bean salsa.

other options: kidney beans, canellini beans, red onion in place of green onion

Veggie Dip

from Nancy Hatch

Ingredients:

3/4 cup low fat mayo
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
1-2 Tbsp. minced onion, dried
1 Tbsp. dried parsley (could try with fresh, but adjust amount)
1 tsp. dillweed
1 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients well. Adjust seasoning as desired. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Serve with favorite fresh veggies. Keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Cheese Fondue

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 cup dry white wine
OR...
{3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water or chicken broth
splash of milk}
1/2 lb shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 lb shredded Gruyere cheese
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, simmer wine. Add Swiss cheese and Gruyere cheese, alternating 1/4 lb at a time. Stir after each addition of cheese until melted. Stir in flour. When all the cheese has melted, add salt and nutmeg.

2. Transfer to heated fondue pot. Adjust temperature as needed to keep smooth consistency.

Serve with cut-up French bread, pears, green apples, whole wheat crackers, green peppers, etc.

(This recipe could easily be halved!)