Zucchini and Mixed Mushoom Risotto

Tags

gluten free, Italian, main dish, mushrooms, risotto, vegetarian, zucchini

This dish is originally a Gordon Ramsey recipe featured on Red Online, a British women’s website. I was a little disappointed though. After all his online bluster about the perfect risotto, I had expected a more flavorful dish from Mr Ramsey. Perhaps it’s somewhat disappointing results can be chalked up to cooks error. I suspect it would taste better if prepared by his hands rather than mine.

Zucchini and Mixed Mushroom Risotto (a variation of this recipe)

• 2 small zucchini
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large garlic cloves, microplaned 
• A few basil sprigs, leaves only
• 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• 2.5 cups chicken stock (GF if you want)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup wild mushrooms, cleaned and halved or sliced if large
• 2 to 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking tray with foil. Halve the zucchini lengthways and score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Arrange the cut side up on the tray. Season lightly and scatter over the garlic slices and basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the courgettes are soft. Let them cool slightly, then roughly chop the flesh.

For the risotto, bring the stock to a simmer in a pan. Heat another medium saucepan and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring, for a minute. Pour in the wine and let it bubble to reduce down until the pan is quite dry. Gradually add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Let the rice absorb most of the stock in the pan before adding another ladleful.

When the rice is al dente, stir in the chopped courgettes and turn off the heat. Leave the risotto to stand for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat a wide frying pan and add one to two tablespoons of olive oil. Tip in the mushrooms, season and toss over a high heat for three to four minutes until they are golden brown and any moisture released has been cooked off. Add the mushrooms to the risotto, along with a little more boiling stock if you prefer a ‘wet risotto’. Stir in most of the Parmesan and adjust the seasoning. Divide the risotto among warm plates and sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan.

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

Tags

bread, dessert, gardening, lemon, pastry, spring, zucchini

Thanks to NancyCreative for this really awesome recipe. It is just in time for the summer zucchini season when you know you will soon be overwhelmed. What is better than a quick dessert to use up those ever bearing zucchini.

Lemon Zucchini Bread 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.

In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.

Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…

Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.