Thursday, August 28, 2014

Black Truffle and Mushroom Risotto

For some reason risotto has a bad rap.  It's often branded as 'too difficult" to make, or 'too fattening' to eat.  Case in point: earlier this week my girlfriend, Jenn, was over at my house while I was cooking & photographing the risotto for this blog post.  I asked her if she ever made risotto at home, and her answer was, "No way. It takes too long to cook, and is too fattening with all that cheese and cream".  Chicas, I'm here to tell you that a).  there is absolutely no cream, and very little cheese in my recipe {the natural starches that are released by slowly cooking the arborio rice result in the creamy consistency of risotto, cream isn't needed} and b). it is WAY easier than you think to cook risotto at home.  

This recipe is my own, and has developed into a go-to recipe in my kitchen simply because the key players needed to throw together a basic risotto are staple ingredients that I always have in my pantry.  If I'm ever questioning what I'll cook for dinner, risotto usually takes the win in that it is so, so satisfying, and never fails to impress.  The addition of soft, earthy mushrooms and a small amount of black truffle oil elevates this basic risotto recipe into a rich & decadent dish that can be enjoyed year round.

Hope you enjoy!




Ingredients

32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. shallot, minced
1 c. arborio rice
1/4 c. white wine {I used Pinot Grigio because who actually cooks with wine and doesn't drink it too?}
1/2 c. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. truffle oil** {I used black truffle oil}
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
Truffle salt** {optional}

** I purchase my black truffle oil from Whole Foods but you can always find truffle oil in specialty grocery stores, or at places like Williams-Sonoma.  The truffle salt I use in this recipe is optional, but adds great flavor.  I purchase it from Williams-Sonoma.**



Directions

Heat the chicken broth in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Once heated, reduce heat to the lowest setting {you want the broth to remain heated, but not to the point of simmering}.

In a large saute pan, heat butter & olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallot, and saute until slightly translucent & aromatic, around 2-3 minutes.

Add in dry rice, and stir constantly, ensuring that each grain is coated in the butter/olive oil.  The rice will begin to "toast" up, and once you begin to smell the rice after a couple of minutes, it's time to move onto the next step.

Next, pour in the wine and allow it to simmer & burn off the alcohol.  When the pan is nearly dry, add in a half cup of the warmed chicken broth, stirring constantly until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.  When the pan starts looking & feeling dry, add in another 1/2 cup of broth.  Repeat this process for around 13 minutes.

Add in the sliced mushrooms, and continue the stirring/adding broth process until you have transferred all of the broth to the rice pan, and the rice is "al dente", around 30 minutes total cooking.

Stir in the truffle oil.  Distribute evenly between bowls, and top with desired amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese, parsley, and truffle salt.  Serve immediately.






Thanks so much for reading! 

Monday, August 25, 2014

Small Kitchen Luxuries

Welcome back from the weekend!  We were up in NY for a wedding and had such a great time!  NY is one of those places that I still get SO excited to travel to, and no matter how many days we spend in the city, it never truly seems like enough time to do everything that I want.  I guess that's part of the allure of the Big Apple :)

As most of you are aware, we will be moving out of our condo and into our new house shortly.  We're just waiting on our kitchen renovations to be complete before making the big move.  I am dying to get in that new kitchen and start creating new recipes!  Below are a few luxurious kitchen accessories that have caught my eye, and need to take up permanent residence in my new space!




Shop these items:

Marble & wood serving board {available here} //  Copper measuring cups {found here} //  Hand blown Turkish glass carafe w/ wooden stop {here} //  Solid brass & marble paper towel holder {available here}


Have a great week, babes! xx

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Vegetarian Eggplant Shakshuka

Hola babes!  I've been computerless this whole week, hence the silence over here.  My Macbook just got back from the repair shop, and hooray!  She works, and my pictures from this recipe I'm about to share were salvaged!

So by now you're probably wondering what the heck is shakshuka?!?  It kind of sounds like something you say after someone sneezes, right?  Before moving to Miami, I had never heard of shakshuka {pronounced shock-shoe-kah} either.  There is a pretty large Israeli community in my area, and my husband & I frequent a number of Israeli restaurants around here.  Essentially, shakshuka is a healthy Israeli dish comprised of stewed tomatoes, onions, peppers & middle eastern spices served with over easy style eggs & bread.  In Israel it's typically eaten at breakfast, but is perfectly acceptable to eat all throughout the day.

I CRAVE shakshuka.  When we traveled to Israel earlier this year, I was eating it daily.  It's healthy, hearty, and the flavors of this dish work so perfectly together.  If you've never tried shakshuka before, I am absolutely thrilled to introduce you one of my all time favorite dishes!

Enjoy!




Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion cut into 1"strips
1 red or green bell pepper, cut into 2" strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small eggplant (or about 2 1/2 cups), cut into 2 inch strips
1 small jalapeno, diced
1 32oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt & fresh ground black pepper
3-4 eggs
Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish (about 2 tbsp) 
Crusty bread or pita if desired


Directions

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion & garlic and saute until it begins to soften & becomes fragrant.  Next, add in eggplant, bell pepper & jalapeno and saute until soft (about 7-10 minutes).

Carefully {nothing splatters worse than canned tomatoes} add the canned tomatoes, and the tomato paste to the pan.  Stir to combine, gently breaking open the tomatoes with the back of your spoon.

Stir in paprika, cumin, salt & pepper {to taste} and allow the mixture to simmer down and thicken, about 20 minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened, reduce heat to medium low & crack the eggs one at a time directly over your tomato mixture.  Make sure to space your eggs out evenly in the pan.  Cover with a lid, and allow your eggs to cook "over easy" style in the sauce.  Since I like my eggs cooked a little more "over medium", I allow my eggs to cook for around 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve with a side of bread or pita.




Friday, August 15, 2014

Typical Domestic Pinspiration

Happy Friday, babes!  Whew!  This week flew by.  I've been so, so busy with our new house and this weekend + upcoming week looks to be a jam packed one as well.  My brother flies in this afternoon, we have a wedding to attend this weekend, I need to make a final decision on our countertops like ASAP,  brother leaves on Tuesday, bestie/dog sitter flies in on Wednesday, heading to NYC on Friday for another wedding, and then off to Mexico for a little R&R.  Full plate status, but there's guac & a margarita in my near future!!

Pinterest is my sanity.  I love unwinding on Pinterest....it's just so visually therapeutic :)  Here's a few things that I'm loving lately.....



Crispy cauliflower tacos w/ mango salsa is on my list of new recipes to try



An earthy array of potted succulents makes for a gorgeous tablescape.



Watermelon coconut ice cream made with 4 ingredients.....yes, please!




Loving this pretty fall front porch display.  It gives me all sorts of ideas for our new house!



Dying over these fringe booties!



I'm refinishing our kitchen cabinets, and am thinking this warm, light gray color is exactly what I want.



Slow cooker sesame ginger chicken sounds super easy + tasty.  Definitely trying this soon...



Simple summer dresses + cognac leather accessories are my jam.

Damn straight.





To see more of what I'm pinning, follow along here.


Have a great weekend! xx

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Blueberry Sour Cream Banana Bread

I found this recipe in my recipe card index box recently.  It is hand written on a small piece of paper, and my notes on the back of the paper written in big letters reads, "ENTIRELY TOO GOOD."  I wish I could remember the source who gave me this recipe, part of me thinks that it belongs to my grandmother, but I could be wrong.  

This bread is so moist & tender due to the addition of sour cream.  Normally if a recipe calls for sour cream I would sub it out for Greek yogurt.  Same with butter for coconut oil.  I like to make my recipes a bit more nutritionally sound, but the thought of doing that to my Grandmas recipe {if it is hers} is sacrilegious.  And besides, some things in life are just way better with the addition of a little butter and sour cream.  

Hope you enjoy!




Ingredients

2 medium ripe bananas
2 cups flour {I used white rice flour}
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 chopped pecans
2 room temperature eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 heaping cup blueberries, washed & patted dry
 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x5" loaf pan.

Mash bananas with a fork, and measure out 1 cup.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon, and pecans.  In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, vanilla, butter, and bananas.

Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the banana mixture.  Stir together until just combined.  The batter should be slightly lumpy.  Gently fold in the berries taking care not to break them.  Pour the batter into your loaf pan, and bake until the top of the bread is firm to the touch, about 50-60 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes.  Gently run a knife along the edges of the bread to loosen, and turn loaf out onto the rack.  Cool to room temperature before eating.


 


Don't forget to like Typical Domestic Babe's new Facebook page!

Thanks for reading, have a great day! xx

Monday, August 11, 2014

Fall Cravings

Hi everyone!  Welcome back from the weekend, hope it was good to you!  We're getting pretty excited for our big move next month, and I think that our weekend activities seemed to show it!  Friday night was spent "glamping" at the new place.  We wanted to see what it was like waking up in the new digs, but since we still don't have furniture over there yet we set up shop with an air mattress.  It was a lot of fun eating take out from a restaurant in our new hood, drinking expensive red wine from plastic cups, roasting s'mores in the backyard {I was eaten alive by mosquito's}, and playing scrabble all night.  The rest of the weekend was spent appliance shopping {kitchen remodel begins this week!}, slowly boxing up our condo, watching 'The Hundred-Food Journey' {highly, highly recommend}, and doing a bit of online shopping.

Speaking of online shopping, retailers are officially debuting fall merchandise, and as always, seeing the collections of thick sweaters, boots, and rich leather accessories evokes the same feeling in me year after year....I wish we lived somewhere that experienced the fall season.  More than anything I crave crisp cool air, the changing of the leaves, and all things related to fall fashion.  Here's a few things that I came across this weekend {in all different price points} that gave me a slight case of depression.




Shop These Items

Brown leather jacket - H&M {under $60! view here} //  Gray wool coat - J.Crew {here, also loving this affordable version} //  Peep Toe Bootie - DV by Dolce Vita {obsessed! here} //  Quilted leather clutch - Asos {under $25! here} //  Felt hat - Swell {available here} //  Vest with faux fur trim - H&M {need this! here} //  Ballet flats - Moschino {view here} //  Cable knit sweater - Zara {here} //  Quilted faux leather skirt {here} //  Saint Laurent shoulder bag {Dying for this! here, also loving this budget friendly beauty which looks WAY more expensive than it is}



So. much. goodness.  I recently created a Facebook page for Typical Domestic Babe where I'll be sharing more of my fall obsessions throughout the week.  Click here to be directed to Facebook and 'like' TDB :)


Have a great week & congrats to Leslie for winning the Polar watch giveaway!  xx

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Summer Squash & Spinach Orzo Pasta

I am so excited to share today's recipe with you all!  I pretty much crave pasta all year long, but during the summertime I tend to prefer much lighter dishes because, let's be honest, it's too dang hot for heavier comfort food style pasta.  I also like to take advantage of all the fresh produce that comes with the summer months, and that means lots and lots of yellow summer squash and zucchini.  

This pasta dish is the perfect balance of light, fresh flavors combined with whole wheat orzo.  You won't find any cream or tomato based sauces in my summer pasta.  Just simple nutty flavored noodles cooked in olive oil & chicken broth, that pairs perfectly with the sweet flavor of the summer squash and brightened up with fresh flat leaf parsley & a touch of basil.

I might also mention that this cooks up in around 30 minutes making this a great nutritionally sound dish to whip up on any night of the week.

Hope you enjoy! 




Ingredients

1 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow summer squash
1 tbsp + 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup whole wheat orzo
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup sliced spinach
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese + extra for garnish
2 tbsp. Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped



Directions

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Once heated, cook summer squash & zucchini until almost tender {around 5-6 minutes}.  Add in onion, garlic, and salt & pepper and cook around 2 minutes longer, or until onions start to become translucent.

Next, add in the orzo pasta noodles to the pan and continuously stir & toss to thoroughly coat the noodles in the olive oil for around 1 minute.  Take care not to burn the dry noodles.

Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer {still stirring occasionally} until most of the liquid is absorbed, around 10-15 minutes.

Throw in the spinach & basil leaves and continue to stir & toss until the spinach begins to wilt.

Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Divide amongst bowls, and finish by topping with flat leaf parsley and an extra garnish of Parmesan cheese if desired.

This recipe can easily be reheated the next day by simply heating in a small saute pan over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of chicken broth to add in a little moisture.

Serves 4.









Have a great day! xx

Monday, August 4, 2014

Polar FT4 Fitness Watch Giveaway

Happy Monday chicas!  Hope you all had an amazing weekend.  It's a new week, a new month, and the perfect day for a giveaway!!

So I'm a little late to the game on this one, but last month I purchased a Polar FT4 watch and I'm absolutely IN LOVE with it!  I wanted something that would help me keep an accurate count of the calories that I'm burning during my workouts.  For me, it makes a big difference with staying on track during the day if I can see exactly what I'm expending during my gym days.  As in ummm no thanks, I think I'll pass on the pizza tonight because I sweated my a** off in the gym for an hour and only burnt 400 calories kind of way.

Not only does this watch keep track of my calories burnt, but it also monitors my heart rate via a chest strap that you wear around your rib cage.  At first I was a little self conscious about wearing the strap, but honestly it conceals really easily and you can't even tell that it's on.  Wearing the heart rate monitor helps me stay in my target heart rate zone, thus ensuring that I burn maximum amount of calories.  


{This particular gym session was 20 minutes of warm up on the treadmill, followed by 20 minutes of ab work.}

So basically, this little pink watch rocks my world.  I lalalove it and today I'm sharing the love with you guys!  I'm giving away 1 Polar FT4 watch to one lucky reader!  

To enter:

1.  You must follow me on Instagram {@ andy_adler }. 

2.  Choose the color of your watch from below.

3.  Leave a comment on this post stating the color of the watch you would want, and your email address.



The winner will be randomly chosen this Friday, August 8th.  

To learn more about the Polar FT4 watch, click here.

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**



Thanks so much for reading & good luck! xx

 

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