Brown Rice Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

As a great comforting, rich meal, risotto always comes to mind when needing something simple and very versatile. With risotto dishes, you can add in your favorite ingredients and vegetables. Arborio rice is what you're supposed to use for risotto but, it's pretty expensive, so I make it with whatever rice I have on hand, and no

QUICK INGREDIENT CHECKLIST:

1 1/2 cups of rice (brown, white, jasmine, basmati, arborio, wild- your choice)

1 bunch of asparagus

1 package of sliced mushrooms

1 onion (yellow or white)

1 clove garlic

1 carton vegetable broth

about 3 cups of white wine

salt and pepper

Italian seasoning

fresh basil and parsley

1/2-1 cup Parmesan or Romano grated cheese

one ever complains. No rules in my kitchen. If it tastes good, then what does it matter? On New Year's Eve, I made a champagne risotto with mushrooms and black olives. This version is made with white wine.  

In a large skillet lined with extra virgin olive oil, heat on a low-medium temperature. Add your chopped garlic and onions, and let cook for a few minutes. Then add in your rice, and stir to coat with oil. Add in 2 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of white wine. Add a few dashes of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce temperature to low. When liquid is mostly absorbed, add in another cup of both the broth and the wine as well as your mushrooms. Cover again and let liquid absorb. Meanwhile, break off the ends of your asparagus at the natural breaking point, then chop the remaining portions into about 1-inch pieces. Add them into the skillet, stir and re-cover. When liquid becomes absorbed again, add in another cup of both the broth and white wine. Continue to let slow cook. If you're pressed for time, turn up the temperature some. When liquid becomes fully absorbed, top off with your grated cheese and freshly-chopped herbs. Add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve and thank me later. :] Just kidding. Enjoy!

Grandma's Pasta Salad With Broccoli

Our Grandma frequently whips up this delicious pasta salad when we get together. As they say, Grandma's food is always the best. I've never tasted any of our Grandma's food that I didn't like. She's taught us a lot in the kitchen since we were young. I guess you can say she's been one of our cooking mentors. This pasta salad is easy and quick to make. All you need is:

• GF rotini pasta (tri-colored or not)
• broccoli-fresh or frozen
• Good Seasons Italian dressing packet
• a handful of grape or cherry tomatoes
• black pepper
  

Cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Simultaneously, cook your broccoli. (If frozen, go by bag instructions. If fresh, steam them until they reach the desired tenderness.) When both pasta and broccoli are complete, rinse under cold water to cool. Drain, then mix them together in a large serving bowl. Add in your tomatoes, chopped or whole, however you like. Sprinkle some black pepper. Coat with your dressing. Any Italian dressing would work. We frequently use the Good Seasons Italian dressing packet which instructs you how to make by mixing with olive oil and vinegar. But any store-bought dressing would do. Buon Appetito!

No Mayo Potato Salad

A healthier option for a potato salad. Perfect for summer dinners/bbqs. Light and flavorful. What's not to love? I know I love this version of potato salad. I hope you will too. This dish has made it on the menu for many of our family bbqs in the last few years.

Quick Ingredient Checklist:

• 1 bag red potatoes
• 2 or 3 celery stalks
• 1 can sliced black olives
  
• 1 red onion
• handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
  
• juice of 2 lemons
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Chop up your potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Boil for about 10-15 minutes, until tender but not too mushy. Meanwhile, chop up your red onion and celery, place in a big serving boil and squeeze some of the lemon juice over them to help reduce the onion's strength. When potatoes are ready, drain and run cold water over them until they've cooled significantly. Then add potatoes into the celery and onion mixture, add in the olives, the rest of the lemon juice and some olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and desired. Garnish with the chopped basil leaves.

Veggie Kabobs

Another great summer bbq option! These colorful veggie kabobs bring something unique to the table. If meatless dishes aren't your thing, simply add on some chicken or beef. These are grilled on skewers, drizzled with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Extra veggies that won't fit on the skewer can be grilled on some foil. The picture above is before throwing on the grill. The one below is after. Here's what we put on our skewers:

• zucchini
• cherry tomatoes
• red onion
• pineapples
• mushrooms
• green peppers
• orange peppers

Chop up your ingredients into chunky skewer-friendly sizes, drizzle some olive oil over them, sprinkle some salt and pepper and any other flavors you'd like. Grill for just a few minutes until browned a little bit. Serve and enjoy.

Bean and Corn Salad

Quick Ingredient Checklist:

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can corn

1 can lima beans

2 cans black beans

1/2-1 red onion, chopped
cilantro (about 1/4-1/2 of a bunch), chopped
extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

This is a great summer salad full of protein and is also a great vegetarian option. You can substitute whatever variety of beans you like. We added double black beans because those are one of our favorites! Need something different to bring to a summer bbq? This light and refreshing salad is a great choice.

Simply mix all the beans and corn together in a large serving bowl. Add in the onion and cilantro. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Strawberry Rice

A refreshing unique summer sidedish! I recently tried this dish for the first time at a friend's bridal shower, and it became an instant favorite of mine. Some rice dishes are heavy, but this one is light and refreshing because of its fresh ingredients. All you need for it is wild rice, strawberries, olive oil and raspberry champagne blush vinaigrette.

If you don't cook rice often, cook a cup of rice with double the amount of water. So if you're making 2 cups of rice, put 4 cups of water in the pot. Bring to a rapid boil, then lower the temperature until all the water is absorbed. When finished, let the rice cool.

Meanwhile, while the rice is cooking, chop up your strawberries! (If you don't like strawberries, try raspberries or other fruit of your choice.) I use a whole package of strawberries with 2 cups of rice, but you could use 1/2 or less if you'd like.

When rice has cooled some, mix in the chopped berries and add the dressing. (Coat rice with olive oil and the champagne raspberry blush vinaigrette) Serve and enjoy!