Risotto with Pancetta and Fava Beans

My friend Alexis introduced me to the Four Ingredient Cook Book. (Excuse me, it's an encyclopedia, not a book!) She made some lentils from one of their recipes and also a carrot salad. Both were great. I ran across it in the bargain aisle for $5 one day and decided to pick it up for myself. The book is beautiful with pictures for each recipe. I need to start using it more because the recipes are easy and tasty too. If I get really adventurous one day I'll try making my own breads from here. Last night I made the Risotto. It was yummy, easy and a crowd pleaser. It made plenty and I am looking forward to the left overs. While this meal was not the bargain basement that the book was, I figured I have four good portions for about $14 dollars. Much cheaper than going out to eat!

You begin by simmering 6 cups of vegetable broth. (It calls for herb, but who knows where to get that!) Then you dice up 6 ounces of Pancetta. Render the Pancetta in a heavy bottom pan.

Nothing like the smell of smoked and rendered pork fat! Then you add 1 3/4 cups arborio rice.

Stir the rice until it's translucent...about one minute. Then you begin adding the simmered broth one ladel at a time. Stir, stir, stir. Add more broth. Repeat. It's that simple!

More adding broth and stirring....this process will take about 25 minutes or so. Adjust your stovetop temperature so the steam doesn't scald you like it did me!

Soon enough you will have a pot full of creamy yumminess. Then add one bag of previously frozen Fava Beans....Can't find Fava Beans? Use Lima Beans - close enough! Heat these through. I added one more ingredient....more like a garnish of sort. Some slivers of Pecerino Ramano. Yum!

Sorry for my Hiatus

I was on a business trip the first week in April. It seemed to throw me for a loop. I am finally feeling back on track this week.

I must share that I put together a fair meal plan for us this week. I am making five dinners, breakfast muffins and some spinach nuggets for my "little nugget". I just could not take Kroger any more. I was discombobulated and not saving THAT much money. So I did the analyzing myself and went back to my neighborhood Hollywood Market. With a little research in the mailed flier and the coupons I have saved up, it paid off. Well, kudos to me, because I saved 36% off my bill this week. I stocked up on things like boneless-skinless chicken breast, prepared broth, and canned tomatoes. Really, I feel that the personal service I get from Hollywood far exceeds most big box chain stores. They all know me by now...poor bastards!

This week's meal plan...in no particular order.

1. Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Asparagus - I clipped this recipe and had my mom try it while I was away on business. It got thumbs up all around.
2. Pancetta and Fava Bean Risotto - I can only think of Silence of the Lambs and maybe I'll splurge and get some Chianti.
3. Tonno con Piselli - You do the translation!
4. Grilled Beef with Wasabi and Slaw - I made this a few years ago and it was fab! Can't wait to have the grill ready again.
5. Turkey Club Salad with Avocado Dressing - This is a Rachel Ray recipe....and while I'm way over her, this sounds so yummy, my mouth is watering now.

I'll keep you posted on how each of these goes. Now I have to pick which one to make tonight. Have a great week everyone!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

So after having an extremely productive day, I decided to reward myself with homemade chocolate chip cookies. I just went grocery shopping so I had an untouched bag of chocolate chips. The unfortunate thing is I bought **gasp!** generic chocolate chips. There was NO recipe for regular chocolate chip cookies on the back. My go-to cookbook when all else has failed is Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. Of course he had a fantastic recipe that was easy to follow and oh-so delicious! I did modify the directions a bit to fit with the time that I had to make cookies....so here goes.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (do this the old fashioned way and not like I did...I won't go there)

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached and ditched the whole wheat idea.)

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla

2 cups Chocolate Chips (this is a whole bag....how convenient!)

1. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugars; add the eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. Add the vanilla.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. (I used a wire whisk.) Add 1/4 cup at a time to the butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture until completely blended. (I continued to use the mixer at a slow rate. You may choose to do so by hand.) Stir in the chocolate chips. (This has to be done by hand. The dough is too thick.)

3. Refrigerate cookie dough for desired length of time. (I had to jog today, so it was about 45 minutes after the park pit stop for Q.)

4. Preheat oven to 375 degree. (Check out some of my previous posts to see what I say about oven temps! Be aware of your oven!)

5. Drop by tablespoons onto greased baking sheets (or non-stick works too) and bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

6. Cool for 2 minutes on the sheets (This is essential! They will continue to bake here.) before using a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling. Store in a covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two. (Um, yeah. I don't plan on these lasting too long.)

My overall impression is that this is an excellent and simple recipe to follow. The cookies have a nice buttery flavor and just enough height to make them chewy. No flat chocolate chip cookies here!

Poor little fellows never stood a chance.