Daring Cooks' Risotto with Creamy Tomato Sauce

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

I've been putting off this month's challenge due to all the stress that comes w/ exams, but i finally got down to it last night! It also helped to know that our hosts, Eleanor and Jess, gave us a lot of freedom coming up with our own variations of Risotto... sparing me the panic of looking for ingredients at the last minute. So without the month-long research that I usually take to decide on my challenge variation, i decided to just dive in and give Risotto "Osteria" a try. You see, JLo and I are loyal customers to this pizza delivery/restaurant called "Osteria" near our dorm, and one of their best dishes is their trademark risotto. I tried to recreate the dish from what i could remember and although the taste wasn't 100% identical, I was pretty satisfied with the end result. This risotto is made with chicken, broccoli, marinated red peppers, and mushrooms... then coated with a thick layer of creamy tomato sauce. So if you're ever considering making a tomato-based risotto, be sure to give this Osteria medley a try!

Risotto with Creamy Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• Creamy Tomato Sauce:
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• Salt & pepper to taste
  
  
• Risotto Base:
• 60 mL olive oil (2 fluid oz)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 400g Arborio rice (14 oz)
• 60 mL white wine (2 fluid oz)
• 1 liter chicken or vegetable stock, simmering [recipe below]
  

• Additions:
• Chicken breasts, cooked
• Button mushrooms, diced
• Marinated red peppers, sliced
• Fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Creamy Tomato Sauce

1. Heat the tomato sauce in a small pot.
2. Add in the mascarpone cheese and stir until it becomes salmon pink in color.
3. Season with basil, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set Aside.

Risotto Base:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Fry for a few minutes to flavour the oil then discard. (We diced ours and left it in as we like onion) [picture 1].
2. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly [picture 2].
3. Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated.
4. Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two) [picture 3]. Don't actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off.
5. Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed.
6. Repeat Step 5 making sure to leave aside approximately 100 ml of stock for the final step.
7. Repeat, save 100ml for the final stage.
8. Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.

Additions:

1. Once the risotto base is done, add in the chicken, mushrooms, red peppers, and broccoli [picture 4].
2. Pour in the Creamy Tomato Sauce and stir until the liquid is absorbed and vegetables heated through [picture 5, 6].

Risotto with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Chicken Stock

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large chicken 2-3 pounds (about 1 kg)
• Chicken bones 2-3 pounds (about 1 kg)
• 2 onions, roughly diced
• 1 medium leek - white part only, roughly diced
• 2 sticks celery, roughly diced
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp. white peppercorns ( Any type of whole peppercorn will do)
• 2 bay leaves (fresh or dried, it doesn't matter.)
• peel of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash the chicken and bones and places in a 5 Litre pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil
2. Skim away any scum as it comes to the surface
3. Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil
4. Add the rest remaining ingredients and simmer very gently, uncovered for 1.5 hours
5. Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside. The chicken meat can be removed from the chicken, shredded off and used for other things like soup!
6. Simmer the stock gently for another hour. At , at the end you should have around 2 Liters
7. Carefully ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less the bones and vegetables are disturbed in this process the clearer the stock will be. 
The stock is now ready for use. Freeze what you don't need for later use.

Daring Cooks' Sushi Challenge

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

When i first found out that this month's challenge was Sushi, i was like, oh crap, i'm gonna have to sit this one out...how am i supposed to enjoy making something i don't like! Ok, the thing is, i don't HATE sushi-- i'll eat it... but i just prefer anything else over it. I've always considered sushi to be more like appetizers / snacks instead of a meal. Having sushi for an afternoon nibble is acceptable, but i will not be satisfied with a plate of cold, bit-sized spirals of fish with rice for dinner. Give me a bow, l of steamy noodle soup or a casserole buried in smoldering cheese-- you and I will be BFFs for eternity. But after much contemplation, I came to the conclusion that the only 3 legitimate excuses to forgo a challenge would be 1) having absolutely no time on my hands, 2) having no access to the ingredients, or 3) having no access to a kitchen. But with all 3 criterion going for me, i just couldn't sit this one out with a good conscience. It probably took me twice the normal amount of time to finish these because I've never been good at rolling them. I remember my mom used to re-do all my sushi rolls for me cuz they were just too painful to look at, hahaha... i'm glad i have officially moved on from that stage. So thank-you Audax and Rose for hosting this challenge. I can now show these to my mom and let her know that her daughter has just reached another milestone in her life: rolling up presentable sushi!

PART 1: SUSHI RICE
(makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups uncooked short grain rice
• 2½ cups water
• For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water

Sushi vinegar dressing

• 5 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar
• 5 Teaspoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar
• 1¼ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt

DIRECTIONS:
Rinsing and draining the rice

1. Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don't crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.
2. Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.

Soaking the rice

1. Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).
2. Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu.
3. Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.

Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing

1. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat on low setting.
3. Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
4. Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked.

Cooking the rice

1. After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice.
2. Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.
4. Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.

Turning out the rice

1. Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.
2. Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.
3. Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.

Dressing the rice with vinegar

1. Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.
2. Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don't stir or mash rice.
3. After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.

Fanning & Tossing the rice

1. Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don't flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended.
2. Stop fanning when there's no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.

Keeping the rice moist

1. Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

* Tip: To make sushi rice: for each cup of rice use 1 cup of water, 2 Tbs rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sake. For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water when cooking the sushi rice since the weight of rice can vary. Weight of 2½ cups of uncooked rice is about 525 grams or 18½ ounces.

PART 2: Dragon Rolls (aka Caterpillar Rolls)
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Cooking time: about 5 minutes (grilling the eel)
Yield: 2 inside-out (uramaki) sushi rolls

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sheet 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm) of toasted nori (dried seaweed sheets), cut into halves
• 1/2 Japanese cucumber
• 2 cups of prepared sushi rice
• Glazed Barbecued Eel (ungai) (about 3½ ounces or 100 grams)
• 1 Avocado (i used a cucumber)
• Vinegared Water – ½ cup of water combined with a dash of rice vinegar
• Various small amounts of sauces to use as the flames of the dragon (or legs of a caterpillar)
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams or 1 oz) Fish Roe (Fish eggs), optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut cucumber into strips ¼ inch (6mm) x 7” (175mm) long, then salt, rinse & dry the strips.
2. Grill (broil) the eel for about 2-5 minutes until bubbling. Cut into two lengthwise strips.
3. Halve, pit and peel the avocado. Cut the avocado halves into thin even 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Fan out the cut avocado into a 7 inch (175 mm) overlapping pattern.
4. Cover bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori shiny side down, lengthwise, on the edge the mat.
5. Moisten lightly your hands in the bowl of vinegared water.
6. Place one cup of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
7. Flip the rice-covered nori over (so the bare nori is now on top) and place on the edge of the mat closest to you.
8. Arrange one of the eel strips across the length of the nori, not quite centred on it but a little closer to you. Place half the cucumber sticks next to the eel.
9. Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with both hands, keeping your fingertips over the fillings, and roll the mat and its contents until the edge of the mat touches straight down on the nori, enclosing the fillings completely. Lift up the edge of the mat you're holding, and continue rolling the inside-out roll away from you until it's sealed. Tug at the mat to tighten the seal. If the rice doesn't quite close the roll add more rice in the gap and re-roll using the mat to completely cover the inside-out roll. Place the roll on a damp, clean smooth surface.
10. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the optional fish roe along the entire top of the rice-covered roll. Using the plastic covered mat gently press the fish roe so it adheres to the rice.
11. Slide a knife under one fan of avocado and transfer it onto the top of an inside-out roll. Gently spread out the avocado layer to cover the entire roll. Lay the plastic wrapped mat over the avocado-covered roll. Squeeze very gently to shape the roll.
12. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll. Slice the roll into 6-8 equal, bite-sized pieces, wiping your knife with a damp towel before each slice. Discard the plastic wrap. Repeat the above to make one more roll.
13. Arrange the cut pieces on a serving plate with the sauces so the finished dish appears as a dragon breathing fire and flames (or a caterpillar with many legs).

* Tip: The most common mistake is having too much filling the golden rule is less is more when it comes to making sushi it is easier to roll an under-filled roll than an over-filled roll.
* Tip: Dampen your knife with a moist lint-free towel before every cut – this prevents the sushi rice from sticking to your knife.

PART 3 : Spiral Sushi Roll
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Yield: One Roll, cut into 8 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups prepared sushi rice
• 2 sheets of toasted nori, each sized 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm)
• Six assorted fillings, each filling should be the size of a pencil (see note below)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Join 2 sheets of nori by moistening the adjacent edges and overlapping them about ½ inch (12mm).
2. Place this double sheet shiny side down on a rolling mat, part of the nori will extend beyond the mat.
3. Using moist fingers place 2½ cups of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly, leaving ¼ inch (6mm) nori showing on the both ends of the sheet. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
4. Using your fingers form six grooves (in the same direction that you will be rolling the mat) at even intervals across the bed of rice. Make the first groove about 2 inches (50 mm) from the edge of the nori sheet. Form the grooves by pushing the rice away, do not mash or squash the rice, leave a loose one grain layer of rice in the bottom of the grooves. Level the areas between the grooves where you have pushed the rice.
5. Place your fillings in the grooves. Fill the grooves a little higher than the surrounding rice bed.
6. Then roll the sushi up from the edge closest to you, this will form a spiral pattern of nori, rice and fillings inside the roll.
7. Slice into 8 pieces with a very sharp wet knife, wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each cut.
8. Place the pieces on a platter and garnish.

PART 4 : Nigiri Sushi
Nigiri sushi is the type of sushi most often made in sushi bars. In Japanese, nigiri means “squeeze”.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Yield: 14-16 pieces of sushi

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups prepared sushi rice
• 8 pairs of assorted toppings, 200 gms/7 ozs total of fish, meat or vegetables (see note below)
• 1 tablespoon Wasabi (paste, reconstituted powder) or any other paste to adhere topping to rice

Optional

• Garnishes such as Ginger (pickled), chilli strips, vegetables flowers etc
• Thin strips of nori or vegetables (for tying topping on)

DIRECTIONS:

1. When handling sushi rice, make certain your hands are very clean. To keep the rice from sticking to our hands moisten your hands with vinegared water.
2. Form nigiri sushi by scooping up a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of rice with your forefinger and second finger of your right hand and placing it in your cupped left palm.
3. Use the fingers and thumb of your right hand to form it into a long, narrow mound (about 2 inches x 1 inch wide or 50mm x 25mm) in your cupped palm.
4. Press enough to make the rice hold firmly together. Place the nigiri on a damp cutting board flat side down. Don't let sushi touch or they'll stick to each other. At this point, you can cover the sushi with plastic wrap, and they'll keep at room temperature (not the refrigerator) for several hours.
5. Smear a thin line of wasabi on top of the rice and place the topping piece on it. You may need to press the topping down lightly with your fingers and adjust the shape of the rice accordingly to form an attractive piece of nigiri sushi. If your topping is very loose like fish roe you can place a strip of nori (higher than the rice) around the nigiri and form 'battleship' sushi. The cavity that the nori forms holds the topping so it does not fall off.
6. Garnish as desired and use strips of nori (or vegetable) to tie the topping to the nigiri if needed.
7. It is customary to make nigiri sushi in pairs, so make two of each variety.

Daring Cooks' Sushi Challenge

Katsudon (豬排丼)

I noticed that I don't have much Asian recipes on here despite being asian myself, so here's a recipe for Japanese Katsudon that I got from my friend, Irene. Since JLo and I do most of our cooking in the 2nd floor kitchen of our dorm, we often bump into Irene and my brother during dinner hours. And 9 out of 10 times, they're ALWAYS making Katsudon!! I'm not kidding, their katsudon-eating frequency is about 2x a week! Hahaha, i guess it's so good that they can't get sick of it :D So after numerous katsudon requests from JLo, i gathered up what i could remember from Irene's instructions and tried it myself. Deep-frying the pork cultlets can be quite a hassle but it's all downhill once they're ready to go. The katsudon sauce recipe couldn't be more simple, and yet the taste went perfectly with a bowl of rice. After meddling in so many complicated western dishes these days, i seem to have forgotten how simple and gratifying Asian cooking can be. I really need to get back to my roots and come up with more Taiwanese/Asian food!

Katsudon (豬排丼)
from Irene, tokyocube & 小小米桶的寫食廚房
INGREDIENTS:

• TONKATSU (Deep-fried Pork Cutlet):
• 4 slices pork loin (about 1 inch thick, 100g each)
• Salt & pepper
• Garlic powder
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs (or normal breadcrumbs)
• Oil for deep-frying
  
  
• KATSUDON & SAUCE :
  **Ingredients below are measured perfectly for ONE serving (one bowl of rice)**
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine (i used vodka)
• 1 tablespoon mirin (optional)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/3 cup (70mL) chicken/vegetable stock or water
• 1/3 cup thinly-sliced onions
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (to get more colors, better presentation)
  
• Spring onions, cut into strips
  
• 1 bowl of rice, cooked

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut small incisions into the surface and sides of the Pork just to tenderise the meat, particularly in the muscle and fat areas, to help make the meat a little softer. [picture 1, 2].
   
2. Once the meat is tenderised, sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder onto both sides [picture 3].
3. Add the plain flour to both sides of the meat and place directly into the bowl containing mixed raw egg. After thoroughly soaking the meat with the raw egg, coat the bread crumbs all over the meat [picture 4, 5].
4. Carefully submerge the meat in a saucepan of oil, first heating each side for 2 minutes at 150 degrees. Then, increase the heat to 180 degrees and continue heating for a further 1 minute [picture 6].
5. Once the meat is cooked through, remove and drain well on paper towels. Cut into bite-sized strips [picture 7]. Set aside.
   
   
6. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, mirin (optional), sugar, stock/water, and sliced onions into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and let it simmer for a few minutes [picture 8]. [The sauce will reduce over high heat so you may add a little water and taste to your liking].
   
7. Carefully place 1 Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) over the sauce and onions. Pour the slightly beaten egg over the tonkatsu and sauce and sprinkle a few strips of spring onions on top [picture 9].
8. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook until the egg is nearly set [picture 10].
   
9. Remove from heat and slide everything onto your bowl of rice. Serve immediately [picture 11, 12].
   

Katsudon (豬排丼)

JLo's Hybrid 油飯 (Fried Glutinous Rice)

I haven't updated in a while and there's a good explanation for that. I've been extreeeeemly busy spending 8-11 hours at the hospital everyday for the past few weeks. Though i still get some time for myself after school, cooking would be the last thing on my mind. I rather sit in front of my computer for 3 hours munching on stale bread than to leave my toasty room for a 15 step excursion to the kitchen. Mmmhmm... a 2 hour minimum (or more) of 混-ing is required to keep me sane. Sigh... COME, CHRISTMAS, COME! May Santa grant me a blow torch this year to set my schedule aflame. Sheeeesh. So anyways, after a month, I'm finally updating on JLo's 油飯. I was gonna make him write this entry instead but then I thought, 算了... I think I'll pass on having my boyfriend write about his Ex's mom, cuz that's where this recipe came from.... AWK-WARD. wa.ha.ha... 好吃就好, 好吃就好了嘛! I'm just glad he cooked for me :) and made something other than chicken and rice...

JLo's 油飯 Fried Glutinous Rice
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 steamer cups glutinous rice (long grain)
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
  
• 1/2 cup fried shallots
• 1 hand full dried shrimps, soaked.
  
• 1-2 tablespoons rice wine [or as needed]
• 1 cup Cha-Shao
  
• 2-3 tablespoons [or as needed] Lee Kum Kee's seasoned soy sauce for seafood (蒸魚醬油)
• 1-2 tablespoons XO sauce (optional)
  
• 1.5 steamer cups water
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the glutinous rice in water for 2 hours. Drain well and set aside. [picture 1]
   
2. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.
   
3. When the oil is hot, add in the mushrooms, shrimps, and dried shallots. Stir-fry until fragrant, adding rice wine when it gets too dry. [picture 2]
   
4. Next, add the Cha-Shao, XO sauce, and soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry, adding rice wine if it gets too dry. [picture 3]
   
5. Add in the glutinous rice and stir-fry briefly until the rice is coated in a light brown color, adding more soy sauce if needed. [picture 4, 5]
   
6. Scoop everything into your steamer pot and add 1.5 steamer cups of water.
7. Pour 2 steamer cups of water in the outer layer of your steamer. Cover and steam. [picture 6]
   
8. If your rice is undercooked, don't worry! Just add more water to the rice and continue steaming.
   

JLo's Hybrid 油飯 (Fried Glutinous Rice)

Steamed Pearl Balls

A few weeks ago, the two packages that I sent out this summer from Taiwan finally arrived, yippeeee! It's been so long since I've sent them that I almost forgot about all the goodies I've packed up inside-- from snacks, condiments to noodles and rice! Yes, that's right, rice! Glutinous rice to be exact. I can't believe they don't sell glutinous rice here... these polaks are seriously missing out. So before i splurge all the rice on JLo's famous 油飯 (glutinous oil rice) that he keeps bragging about, i decided to make my favorite dim sum that I totally forgot to eat this time in TW, 珍珠丸 (Pearl Balls)! I never knew these things were so easy to make until I found a short and simple cooking video for it on ytower. If you exclude the rice-soaking step, the entire process only took 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to steam... it doesn't get any easier than that ;) !

Steamed Pearl Balls
from ytower.com
INGREDIENTS:

• 250g ground pork
• 200g shrimp (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, depending on your taste)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon potato starch
• 2 tablespoons spring onions, minced
• 3/4 cup glutinous rice (a.k.a sweet rice, sticky rice)
• white pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the glutinous rice in water for at least 2 hours or over night.
2. In a big bowl, combine the ground pork and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss it around.
3. Add in the shrimp pieces (optional) and continue tossing.
4. Mix in the sugar, potato starch, white pepper, spring onions, and sesame oil.
5. Continue kneading and tossing until it's well mixed and elastic. Set aside.
6. Drain the glutinous rice and add a pinch of salt and a dash of sesame oil, mix well.
7. Shape the pork into little balls and roll them and cover them with glutinous rice.
8. Place the meat balls 1/2-inch apart on a greased plate. Steam for 15-20 minutes.

Steamed Pearl Balls