Mushroom Risotto

Since recently realizing I can make good risotto at home, I have spent more than a few evening standing over my stove and stirring. Though the process of making risotto is a little time consuming, it is actually really easy to make.

This recipe is simple and doesn't require any particular kitchen skill except patience. You can use almost any kind of mushroom in the recipe such as shiitake, chanterelle, or even simple button mushrooms. The flavor will be more intense with a more flavorsome mushroom like shiitake, but button mushrooms will be tasty as well. Since you can never say exactly how much stock will be needed for making risotto, err on the side of caution and prepare 7 cups (though I only used 5).

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Homemade Spelt Pasta

I have recently discovered spelt flour and am a fan. The taste of spelt flour is not too different from wheat flour, so it's a pretty good substitute. After reading a traditional Italian pasta cookbook the other day, I really wanted to experiment with making fresh pasta, but wanted to try out my recently purchased spelt flour. I found this spelt pasta recipe and was really happy with the end result.

I made ravioli the first time I used this recipe. I don't have a pasta machine, so rolling and re-rolling the dough was the best way for me to get the dough thin enough. It would be a lot easier with a pasta machine, but it is doable by hand. The result is not as delicate, but I was happy with the end result. The one thing to look out for is to make sure the pasta does not dry out since it can become brittle, so work as quickly as you can. Use this pasta for any shape or form.

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Thai Sweet Potato Soup

As the snow is falling, I'm going into hibernation mode. My immersion blender has been getting lots of use since I seem to constantly be in soup moods. I've been trying to keep my soups healthy and avoid using cream to create a smooth texture. Coconut milk is a great way to add this silkiness to a curry soup.

You can make this soup with a variety of vegetables. You can use pumpkin, butternut squash or anything similar. I had a mixture of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes at home, so that's what I used. This soup is pretty thick, which I love, but feel free to add more stock if you want a thinner soup. I made this soup fairly spicy, so adjust the amount of chili and curry paste to your liking. I sometimes top this soup with finely chopped cilantro if I have it around.

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Carrot and Green Onion Salad

My local grocery store has been stocking really great organic carrots lately. They are much sweeter than the normal carrots in the shop and make a great salad on their own. I feel like a kid lately, snacking on carrot sticks and dunking them into all sorts of dips, but they are so good. If you have a mandoline, this salad comes together really quickly. What I also love about carrot salads is that they don't get soggy, so if you have leftovers you can still eat them (and actually enjoy them) on the second day.

You can definitely play around with this salad. I sometimes add a bell pepper or some cucumber if I have other veggies to use up. You can also use different vinegar, such as white wine vinegar, and if you don't have a mandoline or kitchen gadget for slicing carrots, you can just grate them with the large holes on a box grater.
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Hoisin Cocktail Meatballs

I sometime find it really hard to come up with appetizer ideas. I think I rotate the same few ideas and realized that lately I'm tired of those. Recently one of my friends just moved and had a housewarming party where everybody brought an appetizer/finger food. I wanted to make something new and began looking around. I knew I wanted to make meatballs of some sort, but didn't want your classic Italian style option.

I came across this recipe after looking through many, many Asian meatball ideas. I knew I wanted to serve them with a sauce, which surprisingly is not included in many recipes. I also knew that I didn't want to do anything too complicated or with too many ingredients I didn't already have. All I can say is that these meatballs are pretty amazing. This was one of the first dishes to be eaten at the party. Some people didn't even notice the sauce next to them and still loved them. I personally find that the sauce makes these meatballs. It would also make a great marinade if you have some leftover (which I did). If you want, you could even chop in come hot peppers or Thai chilis for an added kick.

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