Creamy Mushroom Risotto

I tried something new in this risotto which resulted in a creamier version.

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My friends, Carol and Inaki harvested some Milky mushrooms (pictured on top) and Oyster mushrooms (lower). In 45 minutes we had a nice meal.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped white onions
150g asstd sliced mushrooms
1/4 c white wine
1 c Arborio rice
6 cups hot chicken stock
1 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp sour cream
salt
white pepper
parmesan cheese
chopped parsley, for garnishing

Start with heating the olive oil and butter.

Add garlic and onions and cook for 1 minute.

Add mushrooms, stir to coat, cooking 2 minutes.

Add rice, stir coat rice with oil, cook 2 more minutes.

Now we will add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time. Stirring often until almost dry, then add another 1/2 cup.

Keep doing this until the rice is al dente, about 30 minutes. I didn't use all of the 6 cups of stock (5 1/2 cups only). If you use up all your stock and the rice is still hard in the middle, you can go ahead and add hot water. Taste and season with salt and white pepper.

You can actually stop right here and serve with parmesan cheese but he next step is what made this dish creamier.

Add the cream cheese and sour cream and stir until well blended. Garnish with parmesan cheese and choped parsley. Serve immediately.

I served this with baked salmon. It was really good.

Homemade Bacon

Tried making my own bacon last Christmas and it was a hit! I served it as Bacon Steak like in the restaurants which is sliced about 1/2 inch thick.

From my Garden II

Let me introduce you to Roselle also known as Hibiscus Sabdariffa. The petals and fruit is steeped to make a delicious tea. It's health benefits include reducing hypertension and weight loss. 

Recipe for iced tea (Agua de Jamaica)

4 red calyses (petals of its fruit) 

2 slices of fresh ginger

2 cups water

simple syrup or honey, to taste

Steep petals and ginger in water for --- minutes. Cool, add your favorite sweetener and ice. 

Can anyone tell me what the name of this plant? I bought it in Tagaytay but forgot.

This plant is called Cardinal's Guard. It is one of my remembrances of my mother-in-law. Her helper gave me cuttings from her house (Mama's place as my boys called it) when she passed away. So each time I see these flowers, I remember Mama.

Black Rice Salad with Asian Dressing

Healthy eating doesn't mean boring food. This colorful dish has the zing as well as interesting textures. Fun food!

Ingredients

Asian Dressing:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp grated or minced garlic
1/2 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger
4-6 pcs crushed mandarin oranges from can
1 tbsp raw honey
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Blend and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Salad:

2 cups cooked Black Rice *
1 cup cooked black beans
grated carrots (or chopped finely)
cooked corn kernels
sliced fresh snap peas
diced red bell pepper
sliced basil leaves

* Soak black rice for at least 1 hour before cooking. 1 cup uncooked rice, 2 cups water. Slow boil until liquid is absorbed into the rice. Taste doneness by biting into rice. If the center is still starchy, add 1/2 cup water and boil a few more minutes. Cool rice before preparing the salad.

Refrigerate salad. Toss in dressing right before serving.

Minestrone

A wonderful hearty soup to fill you up. Adding pesto wakes up the taste of freshly picked vegetables.

Best served the day after but still delicious as soon as it's made. Make a large batch and freeze in individual sized containers for a quick meal. 

From my Garden I

A wonderful surprise in my garden, a pineapple fruit!

This plant is about 12 years old and it has only bear fruit now. Blame it on the unusually cool weather early this year.

A friend of mine gave me some organic liquid fertilizer which I dilute and spray once a week. It contained molasses and seaweed. In 3 weeks, a lot of my flowers bloomed. This one is called Bleeding Heart.

This is called Mickey Mouse plant. It had never bloomed this much. 

My friend is a gardener and bee keeper. She is encouraging me to use organic fertilizers and to grow more flowers for her bees. All over the world, the bees are getting sick from pesticides and fertilizers. Maybe when I learn more I can share with you the recipe and instructions for organic fertilizers. But for now please plant more flowers!

Coleslaw

Ingredients :

2 cups thinly chopped cabbage (about 1/2 big piece)
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced thinly and chopped
2 tbsp thinly chopped onion
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1-2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white vinegar

Place vegetables in a non metallic container with cover. Mix other ingredients in a bowl and blend. Add to the vegetables, mix until coated and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This will give time for the taste to develop.
Take a small taste and add more of an ingredient to suit your taste.