After a week of eating holiday leftovers and eating out quite a few times over the busy holiday season, New Year’s Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to start out a resolution of getting back to cooking some tasty meals at home. Since I had a lot of free time on a lazy Sunday after staying up until midnight to ring in the New Year, I opted to try out a new risotto recipe. Though the recipe says it takes only 30 minutes to prepare, it’s been my experience that it takes a little bit longer for me to get Arborio rice to just the right consistency. So I knew to be prepared to cook it a little bit longer. The recipe took me a little closer to 45 minutes, but it was worth the wait.
The risotto recipe below uses lemons, and I happened to have a few Meyer lemons from a tree my family planted last year – it seemed like a great chance to use them up. The recipe uses zest and lemon juice, and it does have a little bit of a tart taste to it. The butter and cheese in the risotto does help to balance out the flavors. We served it alongside chicken that had a sweet, orange-balsamic glaze so the flavors paired up nicely. The argula was a nice addition since the green leaves have a slightly peppery taste. It ended up being a nice New Year’s Day meal to start the year. The recipes make four servings, but it was easy to cut it down to two servings for two people.
Orange-balsamic glazed chicken
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts or any combination of light and dark meat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
1/3 c. orange marmalade
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. chicken stock
2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
4 c. baby arugula
In a large pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high to high heat.
Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. When the oil is hot and ripples, add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, vinegar and stock and pour over the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Add the scallions during the last minute of cooking time. Arrange on a serving platter and serve topped with arugula greens.
Lemon risotto
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
1 quart chicken stock
2 c. water
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small to medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 c. Arborio rice
2 lemons
1/2 c. white wine
2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. grated pecorino cheese, a couple of handfuls
2 tbsp. slivered mint leaves
A handful basil tops, shredded or torn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot, heat the stock and 2 cups water over medium low heat.
In a risotto pot or large skillet with a rounded bottom, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to pan and saute to soften 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and add the zest of 1 lemon. Heat the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add in the hot stock, a few ladles at a time, and stir for a minute with each addition, to develop the starch and the creamy aspect. Total cooking time will be about 18 minutes or so. Keep adding stock each time the pan starts to become dry at the edges. While the rice cooks, peel and supreme or section the flesh of a lemon and finely chop. Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon sugar. When rice is cooked to al dente, stir in the butter, lemon sections, juice of 1 lemon, the cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
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