Creamy White Bean and Kale Risotto-Style Stew

Serves 4

Ingredients

3¼ cups [700 ml] vegetable stock
2 tbsp [30 ml] olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 brunch kale, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 x 19oz [2 x 540 ml] cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup [60 ml] mascarpone cheese
½ cup [125 ml] parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1 lemon, juice (for recipe) and zest (to serve)
1 tsp [5 ml] dried thyme, or 2 tsp [10 ml] fresh thyme leaves

To serve (all optional)
Flaky sea salt
Red pepper flakes
Parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Best quality extra-virgin olive oil
Celery leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

Method

In a small pot over medium-high heat, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer, then keep hot over low heat.

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and dried thyme (if using fresh, add at the end) and cook slowly, without browning, for about 5 minutes (lower the heat if needed). Add 1 cup [250 ml] broth and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Add the chopped kale: at first, it’ll look like a mountain in the pan, but it will quickly wilt down. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cannellini beans and the rest of the broth. Simmer for about 8 minutes more, until the broth cooks down a little and the stew is loose and creamy. Remove from the heat. Stir in the mascarpone, parmigiano-reggiano, lemon juice and thyme.

To serve, divide into warm serving bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with a little bit flaky sea salt, red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Grate a little more parmigiano-reggiano over each bowl, if desired, then finish with celery leaves for a bright green and fresh touch. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit: Inspired by two recipes: the first from the Green Kitchen Stories iPad app, the second from A Sweet Spoonful.

Pappardelle with Osso Buco Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp [30 ml] olive oil
1 whole veal shank (about 1½ lbs [680 g] osso buco), cut into 3 pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, ends trimmed and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup [125 ml] white wine
5 cups [1.25 L] low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup [250 ml] canned chopped tomatoes
½ tsp [2.5 ml] crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp [15 ml] fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 lb [453 g] pappardelle (broad, flat noodles) or tagliatelle

Grated parmigiano-reggiano, to serve

Method

Heat oven to 400°F [200°C]. Trim silver skin from veal. Heat a Dutch oven coated with the olive oil over medium heat until very hot. Add veal; cook until browned, turning as needed, about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper; stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook until vegetables are softened, about 6 minutes. Increase heat to high, and add wine; cook until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped fresh rosemary, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper; bring to a boil. Place cover on Dutch oven; transfer to oven. Cook 1 hour; remove lid, and continue cooking until veal is falling off the bone and sauce is quite thick, about 1 hour 10 minutes more. Using a wooden spoon, break the veal into smaller pieces, and remove the bones. Stir in half of the grated lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil while osso buco sauce is finishing. Cook pappardelle until al dente (look for the recommended cooking time on the pasta packaging). Drain in a colander, and transfer to warmed bowls; top with sauce. Garnish with grated lemon zest and grated parmigiano-reggiano. Serve immediately.

Note: This veal-stew sauce can be made a say ahead and reheated; the meat will be even more tender and flavors will develop further.

Recipe Credit: Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Sausage Risotto with Swiss Chard

A mellow, yet full-flavored risotto that’s perfect for fall’s first cool nights.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp [15 ml] butter
1 tbsp [15 ml] olive oil
1 French shallot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 Italian sausages, casings removed
5 oz [142 g] risotto rice (about ¾ cup [180 ml])
½ cup [125 ml] white wine
2½ cup [625 ml] chicken broth
4 oz [114 g] Swiss chard or rainbow chard leaves (about 5 to 6 leaves), tough bottom stems removed, leaves cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 oz [57 g] grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
¼ cup [60 ml] chopped fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp [15 ml] butter (extra)
Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly
Ground black pepper to taste

Method

Heat chicken broth in a small saucepan and keep warm on low heat.

In a large pan or a shallow Dutch oven, melt 1 tbsp [15 ml] butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, sauté until brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until wine is almost absorbed, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while stirring. Add 1 ladleful broth. Stir until broth is almost absorbed. Continue adding broth, one ladleful at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more. Mix in chard after 10 minutes. Cook until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes total. Mix in half of the cheese, basil, extra butter, and a lug of extra-virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve risotto in warm bowls, sprinkled with additional parmigiano-reggiano and freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe Credit: Inspired by Clifford A. Wright, Bon Appetit Magazine

Radicchio with Pappardelle

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 heads chioggia or treviso radicchio
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
¼ lb [112 g] pancetta, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp [30 ml] fresh oregano, minced
3 tbsp [45 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb [450 g] pappardelle
½ cup [125 ml] freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Method

Core, then julienne, chioggia or treviso radicchio.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and brown, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions. Season with a little salt (be careful as pancetta is already salty) and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes more. Add minced garlic and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup [125 ml] cooking water. Add radicchio to onion mixture and cook, stirring, until radicchio is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add pasta and reserved cooking water, mix well. Season with salt and pepper and add half of the parmigiano-reggiano. Toss well and serve in warm plates, sprinkled with more cheese and ground black pepper.

Recipe Credit: Adapted from Steven Wagner, Saveur Magazine

Rapini and Pecan Pesto

Lemony Green Olive & Almond Tapenade

A simple and quick spread with a lemon twist that gives the traditional recipe a little quick.

Makes about 1½ cups

Ingredients

1 cup [250 ml] large green olives, pitted
¼ cup [60 ml] fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup [60 ml] slivered almonds, toasted
1 tbsp [15 ml] capers
½ lemon, zest and juice
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet
1/3 cup [80 ml] best quality extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Put olives, parsley, almonds, capers, lemon zest and juice, and anchovy fillet in container or a mini food processor. Pulse multiple times, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture looks coarsely but evenly chopped. Add half the olive oil and process for about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl once. Add the rest of the olive oil and process again for 30 seconds. Taste, season with salt and pepper to taste (you shouldn’t need to add much salt) and incorporate by mixing vigorously with a spoon.

If you like your tapenade quite coarse, it’s now ready to serve. If you want it creamier, keep on processing for a minute more, adding 1 tablespoon [15 ml] water if needed to loosen the mixture a bit.

Serve with toasted pita chips, on crostini, or with pasta.

Recipe Credit: Marie Asselin

Sweet Pea Risotto with Corn Broth

A summer dish that warms up the last days of winter when made with last summer’s frozen vegetables.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

Corn broth
2½ cups [625 ml] water
2 cups [500 ml] fresh or frozen corn kernels
¼ tsp [1.25 ml] salt

Risotto
3 cups [750 ml] organic vegetable broth
2 tbsp [30 ml] butter
1 cup [250 ml] uncooked arborio rice
½ cup [125 ml] diced onion
3 tbsp [45 ml] minced carrot
3 tbsp [45 ml] minced celery
2 cups [500 ml] fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup [250 ml] fresh or frozen corn kernels
½ cup [125 ml] diced fresh fennel
2 tbsp [30 ml] grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp [10 ml] chopped fresh thyme

Remaining ingredients
1 tbsp [15 ml] sherry vinegar
1 tbsp [15 ml] olive oil
1 tsp [5 ml] sugar
¼ tsp [1.25 ml] salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp [30 ml] grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp [15 ml] chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp [15 ml] chopped fresh chives

Method

To prepare corn broth, combine 2 ½ cups water and 2 cups corn kernels in a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Place corn mixture in blender and process until smooth. Strain corn mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discard solids. Set aside and keep warm.

To prepare risotto, bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil), keep warm over low heat. Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add onion, carrot, and celery, cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add warm broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Add peas, 1 cup corn kernels, fennel, 2 tablespoons cheese, and thyme, stirring until blended and hot. Keep warm.

Combine vinegar, oil, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place about 1/3 cup corn broth in each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with about 1 ½ cups risotto; drizzle with 1 teaspoon vinaigrette. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon cheese, ½ teaspoon parsley, and ½ teaspoon chives. Serve immediately.

Recipe Credit: Cooking Light Magazine