Pesto & Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

  With the days getting shorter and colder I find myself looking for foods that are warming to the soul.  This is a quick dinner that doesn't call for many ingredients  and at the same time warms you up from the inside!   

5 cups vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, for a jar
3 tablespoons homemade pesto, see note below
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup ground parmesan

NOTE: Every year I harvest the basil leaves from my small garden and make pesto, the recipe can be found on this blog...Check it out!  You can always use store bought pesto but you can definitely taste the difference.

Method:

1)  In a medium sauce pan, warm the broth
2)  In a large pot, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat.  Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3)  Add the rice to the pot and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add the wine and salt and cook, constantly stirring, until all the wine has been absorbed.
4)  Add the sun-dried tomatoes and 3/4 cups of the broth, continue to stir until all has been absorbed.  Keep adding broth in this manner until you have used all the broth.  Rice should become tender in 20-25 minutes.
5)  Stir in the pesto, parmesan & pepper and serve at once.

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Olive Basil Infused Salmon

  Again, I have been a delinquent blogger...so sorry about that!  I most likely realistically will be able to blog once a week or so with my schedule.  Here is a Salmon recipe I have made a couple of times now that I truly believe is wonderful and worth typing up for you all!  I hope you are able to try it, now is the perfect time with all the basil growing like crazy in the gardens!  Enjoy!

2 lbs. Salmon fillets
1/3 cup pitted black olives
5-7 large basil leaves, more for serving chopped
Zest and Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, + 1/4 cup for frying pan
Extra salt and pepper to lightly dust over Salmon


Method


1) Heat oven to 425 degrees.


2) In a small food processor blend olives, basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, zest and juice of lemon, along with salt and pepper.

3) Make 1 inch slits in the flesh of the salmon and shove as much of the mixture as possible into the slits.
 (NOTE:  This does not look pretty at first but once sauteed the appearance becomes better.)


4) Place Salmon, flesh side down, in heated saute pan which contains the remainder of the olive oil, listed above, (1/4 cup).  Saute until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

5)  Gently, flip the salmon over into a oven safe pan that is lined with parchment paper.  Now, the salmon will be flesh side up for the remainder of the cooking time.  Poor the oil from the saute pan in as well and place in preheated oven.  Cook until Salmon becomes opaque, 4-6 minutes.  Serve with basil sprinkled over top!  

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