Category: Seasonal Favorites
Fresh Strawberries and Cream Cake
| May 22, 2012 | Filled under Cake and Pastry, Desserts, Fruit, Indulge, Summer |
It’s spring, the weather is gorgeous, and strawberries have started to make an appearance at the farmer’s market … what more can you ask for?
The first week that strawberries are really good might be the happiest that I am all year. In season strawberries can’t even compare to the pale, bitter berries that are available the rest of the year. Just follow your nose – if they’re ready, you’ll be able to smell them even before you see where they are in the store or at the market. Their scent is so intoxicating that it makes me giddy, and I buy them by the basket full. I just can’t help myself!
Once I’ve eaten way more than my fill, I make this cake. I’ve been making it for a few years now, an it’s absolutely delightful. It’s light and fluffy and had the perfect strawberry milkshake-like flavor. Go ahead and add plenty of colorful sprinkles – a cake this good is worthy of a celebration. Read More
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Baked Risotto with Sausage and Kale
| April 23, 2012 | Filled under Italian, Quick Weeknight Meals, Risotto, Shawn's Favorites, Winter |
The man who works in the parking garage near my office was in a particularly bad mood this morning. I can’t say that I blamed him. Saturday’s warm sun had gone away, and cold rain settled in. The air was heavy and damp and everything looked gloomy. As he watched person after person head into their toasty warm offices filled with friendly colleagues, he was stuck sitting alone in his little booth (that is, until he had to come out in the rain to deal with my permit issues). On top of all that, it was Monday. I wished that had some of this hearty sausage and kale risotto to share with him – with it’s stick-to-your-ribs warmth, it would have been sure to cheer him up. I could have used some myself. Read More
Baked Risotto with Sausage and Kale
Yields 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
When risotto is cooked on the stovetop, contant stirring is required to loosen the starches, which thicken the broth and give the dish its texture. In this baked version, bubbles from the boiling liquid knock the starches loose.
Ingredients
- 1 pound reduced fat Italian Sausage (about 6 links)
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup Arborio Rice
- 1/2 cup White Wine
- 2-1/2 cups Chicken Stock, warmed
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3 cups chopped Kale
- Salt and Pepper
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 425*F. Remove the casing from two sausage links and crumble the meat into an oven save skillet or enameled dutch oven set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned. Add the onion and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute, or until the grains mostly translucent with a small white center.
- Stir in the wine and cook until it is all evaporated. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the cheese and kale, allowing the heat of the rice to wilt the kale. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the remaining sausage links. Sear them over high heat until the skins are deeply browned and begin to blister. Transfer to the oven until cooked through.
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